Duchy of Cornwall tenants ‘enormously stressed’ over Devon estate sell-off
Posted by duckduck_flamingo
Duchy of Cornwall tenants ‘enormously stressed’ over Devon estate sell-off
Posted by duckduck_flamingo
4 Comments
The press is reporting on one side of the story that the tenants are upset. Well, if a farm is not viable under one tenants, it is offered up to other farmers who can own that land and make it viable.
George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association, said: “Obviously, the association is disappointed that the duchy is selling. But it is part of their current plans for rationalisation and, in the world of the second best, the association is pleased, at least, to see that sitting tenants are to be given first refusal on purchasing.”
He said the association had received “no reports of tenants receiving notices to quit”
This is a normal landlord and tenants contractual relationship. The Duchy is a business not a charity. You cannot expect a landlord to allow you to live on his land for free. If he were to that for everyone then how would the duchy function and make money? How would the employees be paid?
Yes, tough decisions have to be made but again, the residents are given the opportunity to purchase back their land or given the first refusal.
Meanwhile there are many other farm tenants who are excited at the “exciting opportunity for their families to buy their own properties for the first time”.
I wonder what they will invest the money from the sale of land into. I read somewhere that all duchy land sales have to be approved by a council, and the money raised has to be reinvested into the duchy. I wonder what investment is important enough for the council to allow the sale of land that currently has tenants and is already bringing in money.
I have always been taught to never sell precious metals or land though, so this is an interesting decision for a property that is held in trust.