Barry Stamp Accuses Staffordshire County Council Of Putting Money Before The Well Being Of Local Farmers

9.03.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 17th Jul 2007

Selling the County Farms is an appalling situation and the Council must come clean on what they propose and make all the facts available to the tenants

Stafford's Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Barry Stamp has accused the Labour run County Council of putting money before the well being of local farming families.

Barry made the comment following news that the Council were planning to sell of all their smallholding and farms on the open market in a desperate attempt to raise money.

"Over the past couple of weeks the news that the County Council are considering selling off their smallholdings and farms as and when the current tenancy agreements come to an end has slowly filtered out into the farming community. Although if implemented this plan would have a devastating effect on the lives of dozens of tenant farmers and their families the County Council have not bothered to notify anyone officially of what they propose."

"At a time when small farmers are under considerable pressure and are struggling to make ends meet financially they could well do without the extra burden of uncertainty."

"Rumours are rife about exactly what is happening and those farmers who have contacted me each have a different piece of what appears to be a highly top-secret jigsaw. How on earth can anyone make plans when the future is clouded in mystery?"

"From piecing together the snippets of information collected by various farmers it appears that once the current tenancy agreements come to end over the next six or so years the farms will be sold on the open market, which if past experience is anything to go by will mean by public auction. While this will certainly maximise the income to the County Council it will almost certainly mean many will be far too expensive for the current tenants to buy. In one fell swoop these families will not only loose the livelihoods but also their homes."

"This is an appalling situation and the County Council must come clean on what they propose and make all the facts available to the tenants."

"For generations Stafford County Council small farms have been the only way many young people have got the feet on the farming ladder, and to sell them off in this way will be an immoral and a retrograde step. They certainly must be made to reconsider this proposals," said Barry.