Worried farmers say they are scared of being left "homeless" after Prince William revealed plans to sell off farmland on a famous royal estate. Locals around Bradninch in Devon say they are facing an uncertain future amid the Prince of Wales' decision to sell 20% of his estate, as they fear they will be unable to meet the asking price themselves.
Duchy of Cornwall Negotiations
The Duchy of Cornwall, which has been in operation since 1337, said they are in "negotiations" with farmers and tenants regarding plans to allow them to buy back their land. It comes as William reportedly plans to invest £500 million from the sale towards tackling housing and nature crises.
Local Residents Express Distress
Bradninch is a small town south of Cullompton, where much of the farmland surrounding the 16th century Manor House belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall. At least 10 farmers are affected by the current Bradninch sale, which encompasses around 3,500 acres. Local residents Dr Mary Ryan and John Palmer, who have lived in Bradninch for 35 years, have said they are concerned about the welfare of farmers and locals who are being affected by the sale.
John, a retired surgeon, believes it is going to have a "huge impact" on the local farming community, particularly for those who are unable to afford to buy their land back from the duchy. He said: "At first it was a tremendous shock because the duchy estate has been in operation since 1337. Since the news first arose, it has appeared some of the farmers have embraced the opportunity to buy their farms and invest in them - those that are fortunate enough to have deep enough pockets to be able to raise the finance. But others quite frankly aren't in that position. They say they are tenant farmers for a reason, and that's because they can't afford the farms - so they will probably be potentially made homeless unless another buyer can come in and they can be a tenant of them. It's going to be difficult."
Added Pressure on Struggling Farmers
Dr Mary, a retired GP, palliative care doctor and mental health researcher, said it now places added pressure on farmers, many of whom are already struggling in the current climate with wars, the cost of living crisis and weather extremes caused by climate change. She added: "People who are in negotiations to buy their properties have to keep their own council - they are in a precarious position trying to get the best deal for them and their families. We understand that there are farmers who want to buy their farms but who knows if they can never raise the funds to buy the whole farm. When farming is such a difficult industry anyway, you lose land and viability and profit by doing that - so they are having lots of difficult conversations and soul searching about money and what that means for them."
The 3,500-acre estate also includes a number of other assets including rented properties, allotments, wetlands and a football field. Mary said the pair first heard about the land being sold around six weeks ago, after a tenant in one of the Duchy cottages phoned her in "great distress" about a rumour she'd heard from a farmer neighbour. She explained: "Eventually the rumours filtered out and the local people have been left very distressed and upset. It took a while for the community to make sense of what is happening and to adjust to a new shocking reality."
Call for Transparency
Calling for greater "transparency" over the finances of the situation, Mary added: "It's difficult for local people to quite understand how taking money out of the royal south west to invest in Cannington, for example, benefits local people very much at all."
Duchy of Cornwall Response
A Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson said: "Where possible, Duchy tenants are being offered first refusal to purchase their homes and farms, often with a discount, alongside support to help them consider what is right for them and their families. For many of our farming tenants this is a genuinely exciting opportunity - and, through our one-to-one conversations, we know that all of our farm tenants at Bradninch are exploring options to purchase. Our priority is to support every tenant through this process with care and respect. We support them whatever decision they make, and throughout the process they have access to our estate team, practical guidance and to specialist mental health support. This is a long-standing and always-on service available to all our farming and rural tenants. We have also shared our intention with the Town Council to transfer the football pitch, allotments and Hele Road Conservation Area into community ownership on the best possible terms. These spaces will continue in community use throughout. These changes are about enabling future investment in our heartlands, where it can do the most for tenants, communities, farming and nature."
The spokesperson added all farming tenants at Bradninch are currently in live discussions with the Duchy about the opportunity to purchase their farms and mental health and wellbeing support is available to Duchy farming and rural tenants, including access to specialist farming mental health support.
