Wrexham Council farms under scrutiny

The issue will be looked at by the authority’s Customers, Performance and Scrutiny committee after it was raised by Grosvenor Cllr Marc Jones (Plaid).

Cllr Jones would like to see currently unused council owned farmland be put to use either to produce food or renewable energy, or as starter farms for people looking to get into the industry.

Before the meeting, he had received a joint response from the council’s Chief Officer for Housing Julie Francis and Lead Member for Finance and Performance, Council leader Mark Pritchard (Ind).

They stated that out of the nine farms owned by Wrexham Council, the three that are vacant are being earmarked for sale. But members of the scrutiny committee felt other options need to be explored before they are sold off.

At the October meeting, Cllr Jones presented his request for the topic to go to scrutiny.

He said: “This council has a shortage of land for a variety of uses. I know there is a demand for storage, and I’ve also had an enquiry about creating a film stage from an industry expert.

“Although this could come to nothing, rental values per week for that sort of facility amount to thousands per week, not per year.

“I also think we have to look at the more mundane and practical as well. I know the farmers unions and young farmers are very keen to see councils retain their land, as this is often the only way that young people and people with no connection to farming are able to get into the industry.

“We should be opening things out to the people of Wrexham, to ask what can we do with this land?”

Members were supportive of the issue to going to scrutiny and were keen to explore how to make the best of the council assets.

Chirk North Cllr Frank Hemmings (Lab) said: “I saw on TV that the average age of farmers is very high so this is an ideal opportunity where we could be encouraging young people.

“People have to start somewhere.”

Bronington and Hanmer Cllr Jeremy Newton (Con), a farmer himself, added: “I totally agree. Council farms all over the country were originally designed as starter farms for people to come into agriculture who didn’t have the financial backing of family to do it.

Cllr Jeremy Newton. Source - Wrexham Council (Image: Wrexham Council)

“Over many, many generations there has been huge amounts of innovation from people not involved in agriculture coming in via the starter farms.

“I think it’s very, very important that the land is not sold off and I’d even say put the farmhouses back into use so there are small farms available for people to come into the industry.”

Holt Cllr Michael Morris (Con) was also supportive of taking the topic to scrutiny, stating the issue had “gone nowhere” for a number of years, and suggested a scoping exercise where councillors actually visit the farms to see their scale and background.

Members agreed to table the topic to come to scrutiny in December or January.