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HOME THE RURAL RESETTLEMENT GROUP THE PEOPLE WHO DID IT Successful Community of 50 Ashilford Farm Lowsonford Farm From Town To Countryside Words and Action Community Preparations for Small Holding Ten Years On Getting a Small Holding Successful Organic Growing Retraining at 45 Pottery making in a Country Cottage Getting the most from your Goat Development of Craft Villages WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO MOVE TO? Estate Agents Historic Buildings Bureau Empty Houses Smaller Towns and Villages Local Authority Small holdings Registering as a Small-Holding Land Settlement Association Holdings Rural Allotments Land in Urban Areas British Rail Land Ex-Army Land Choosing a House Looking for Land What type of land? What about Soil Fertility Is Climate Important? Is Topography Important? Marketing How Much Does Land Cost? Using the Land WORKING THE LAND Subsistence Gardening and Farming: A Survey How much land for subsistence? How much Land for 'agricultural viability'? What kind of crops, what sort of animals? Animals Poultry and Ducks Geese Rabbits Pigs Sheep Housecows Goats Bees Ferrets Tools Agricultural Education and Training Universities and National Colleges Bibliography Positive Future 2000 PF8 PF7 PF6 PF5 PF4 PF3 PF2 PF1 Other Resources I like |
Local Authority SmallholdingsThere are nearly 9,500 local authority small-holdings in England and Wales, which is some 15% of the rented agricultural holdings, so that this is potentially a substantial source of land for would-be back-to-the-landers. The holdings are dairy, arable, mixed or horticultural; most of them are equipped with a house and farm buildings, and range from 10-120 acres, with a large proportion under 20 acres. The holdings are designed to provide a "full-time occupation". (i.e. what the Ministry deems to be a full-time occupation, based around the standard agricultural wage) for two people. Tenancies are normally granted at an open market rent, and the tenant-landlord relationship is the same as that of any agricultural holding; tenant has security of tenure, and is expected to maintain standards of 'good husbandry'. The landlord (the local authority) usually provides permanent buildings and fixed equipment but the livestock, implements and other items of working capital must be provided by the tenant. Loans towards working capital may be made or guaranteed by the small-holding authority - up to of total working capital. Therefore, the prospective tenant needs in cash, useful implements or stock, a quarter of the total working capital requirement of the holding. Applicants must also have had at least five years experience of full-time practical work on the land; up to 3 years of a full-time further education course in agriculture or horticulture may count towards this. Even so competition is keen, particularly as at the moment the number of available holdings is being reduced in a programme of amalgamation aimed at eliminating the 'unviable' holdings. Application for small-holdings may be made to any small-holding authority at any time or in response to advertisements by small-holdings authorities in the press (all vacancies to be advertised nationally). Application should be made to the office of the council for the area in which the small-holding is required and you can apply to any small-holding authority, regardless of where you presently live. The Ministry also has Farm Settlements at Sutton Bridge and Holbeach in Lincolnshire. These are similar to those provided by local authorities. Applications to: The Resident Director, Estate Office, Sutton Bridge, Spalding, Lincs.
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