Local Authorities statistical information on Smallholdings (County Farms)
Surrey statistics on smallholdings
Data submission to Defra through the Local Authorities statistical information on Smallholdings (County Farms) data return
This data has been taken from the 74th annual report to Parliament on smallholdings in England.
That annual report provides statistical details to Parliament of the land let as smallholdings by local authorities across England, for the financial year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, and is required under section 59 of the 1970 Agriculture Act (1970 Act).
Local authority smallholdings, or council farms (or county farms) as they are now more commonly known, are administered under Part III of the 1970 Act. Under that legislation smallholdings authorities are required to make it their general aim to provide opportunities for persons with sufficient experience to be a farmer on their own account, as well as to have regard to the general interests of agriculture and of good estate management. These council farms are generally capable of providing full-time employment for not more than two people.
The 1970 Agriculture Act defines smallholdings authorities as county councils for England, hence Surrey County Council is the current reporting body. However, there have been many changes to local authority structures since the 1970 Act and consequently, some unitary authorities and borough and district authorities have continued the responsibilities of former county councils in letting land as smallholdings; future reports might therefore be expected of the two Surrey Unitary councils.
Tables below extract the Surrey-specific sections from the annual report, and Tables are numbered as per their numbering within that report. Tables with no Surrey-specific data are not reproduced beneath.
Table 1: Area of smallholdings land held by smallholdings authorities as at 31 March 2024 (hectares)
Local Authority | Equipped farm let area | Bare land farm let area | Agricultural license let area | Total let area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Surrey | 1,117 | 126 | 264 | 1,507 |
Table 2: Number of smallholding lets held by smallholdings authorities as at 31 March 2024
Local Authority | Equipped farm lets | Bare land farm lets | Agricultural license lets | Total smallholdings lets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Surrey | 34 | 11 | 11 | 56 |
Table 5: Total area acquired and disposed of by smallholdings authorities between April 2023 and March 2024 (hectares)
Local Authority | Acquired - Newly acquired | Disposed - Sold/exchanged | Acquired - Formerly leased | Disposed - Leased land | Total land acquired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Surrey | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Table 6: Number of smallholding tenancies granted for the first time or terminated by smallholdings authorities between April 2023 and March 2024
Local authority | Number of tenancies in 2024 | Net change since 2023 | Tenancies granted | Tenancies ceased |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Surrey | 43 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
Table 8: Breakdown of the number of smallholding tenancies held between April 2023 and March 2024
Local Authority | Lifetime | Retirement | Farm Business Tenancies | Secondary lettings | Total lettings and tenancies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Surrey | 15 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 45 |