Applying for a Council farm

[cowgirlclaire]

Hi all ,
I'm looking for some advice please
I have my eye on a small holding near me ( Council farm) and it is soon going to be advertised for new tenancy, Now i lived and worked on our family council farm for 16+years and i am now wanting my own , i have previously applied etc for other farms through the same council and have had positive feedback etc but always seem to get pipped to the post .
I am looking for some fresh advice from more recent successfull applicants as to what seems to be the most favourable addition to add to the business plan that the agents like to see currently

 

[Formatted]

and have had positive feedback etc but always seem to get pipped to the post .

Did they say why you didn't get it?

 

[cowgirlclaire]

Here is the funny bit......i was told the reason was .... 2 dates in my busisness plan didnt match and there were a couple of spelling mistakes ...

 

[Flat 10]

Here is the funny bit......i was told the reason was .... 2 dates in my busisness plan didnt match and there were a couple of spelling mistakes ...

That sounds like they were making up excuses

 

[Flat 10]

And I realise why you probably won’t want to say but all councils are different so it’s difficult to be specific

 

[cowgirlclaire]

That sounds like they were making up excuses

yes i got the impression it was more who you know

 

[Formatted]

......i was told the reason was .... 2 dates in my busisness plan didnt match and there were a couple of spelling mistakes ...

That sounds like they were making up excuses

Not really your business plan is your chance to show how you'd run your business. Not having accurate information, when compared to someone who does provide them with an indication of who to choose. Details matter

I assume this is Devon county council? As heard they've got 7 farms up for rent this Autumn?

 

[cowgirlclaire]

Not really your business plan is your chance to show how you'd run your business. Not having accurate information, when compared to someone who does provide them with an indication of who to choose. Details matter

I assume this is Devon county council? As heard they've got 7 farms up for rent this Autumn?

Business plan was spot on to the point that the bank had already made cheque books etc in the farm business name to me as the buisness manager had said it was a no brainer ... hence when i wasnt sucessful questions were asked why and as i have said the reasoning was spelling mistakes and 2 dates didnt match

 

[borderterribles]

Sounds to me like you are getting close to being successful. Not all Councils are happy to take on a tenant who applies for a farm because it's close to where they already live, though. They are looking for commitment from their new tenant, not just a handy place nearby, to live.
Back in the day, when I got my first tenancy, I had a friendly local auctioneer and valuer look over my application when it was almost ready for submitting, which was a help.
Good luck with your application and remember this, in my experience, the only people who never ever get a Council Holding are the ones who stop applying!

 

[Little squeak]

Back in the day, when I got my first tenancy, I had a friendly local auctioneer and valuer look over my application when it was almost ready for submitting, which was a help.

He wasn't best mates with the agent handling the tenancies was he? Not meant as a critism just thought it may be worth engaging someone who knew agent to look at the proposal.

 

[Still Farming]

No good looking around here as the VOG Council sold all off for a song!

 

[Formatted]

Business plan was spot on to the point that the bank had already made cheque books etc in the farm business name to me as the buisness manager had said it was a no brainer ...

Right but the bank manager doesn't decide who gets the tenancy?

 

[Dog Bowl]

Personally I feel you need to have something tangible to move in with and hit the ground running. Whether you rent a bit of grass keep and run a small flock of sheep, or privately rent a few buildings to start building up a suckler herd.

They want someone to move in and crack on. The landlord doesn't want to see massive projected borrowings from the bank. They also want to see diversified projects to add value to your farming business. Just because you live close by unfortunately doesn't mean your at the front of the queue.

 

[Still Farming]

Hi all ,
I'm looking for some advice please
I have my eye on a small holding near me ( Council farm) and it is soon going to be advertised for new tenancy, Now i lived and worked on our family council farm for 16+years and i am now wanting my own , i have previously applied etc for other farms through the same council and have had positive feedback etc but always seem to get pipped to the post .
I am looking for some fresh advice from more recent successfull applicants as to what seems to be the most favourable addition to add to the business plan that the agents like to see currently

Get to see the Local Councillors who are on the small holdings committee?

 

[chaffcutter]

Can’t speak from experience of this, but would those of you who have, do you think that spending a few quid to get an agent to present your application would help or not?

 

[Bongodog]

Get to see the Local Councillors who are on the small holdings committee?

generally these days Cllrs aren't allowed anywhere near tenancy decisions due to the possibility that they might be unduely influenced one way or another. Cllrs are meant to set the parameters by which the professional officers make the decisions

 

[Dog Bowl]

Can’t speak from experience of this, but would those of you who have, do you think that spending a few quid to get an agent to present your application would help or not?

From my experience no. I sat down and did mine myself. Perfected it over a long time to get it right. I did the figures, then re-did them, then re-did them again. I presented it professionally and was successful as a result.

I believe its too easy to pay someone to get your application done and just because you have got an agent to do the application doesn't necessarily mean your capable of carrying out what's been written!

 

[Still Farming]

generally these days Cllrs aren't allowed anywhere near tenancy decisions due to the possibility that they might be unduely influenced one way or another. Cllrs are meant to set the parameters by which the professional officers make the decisions

You got to find out somehow whats going I guess?

 

[Bongodog]

You got to find out somehow whats going I guess?

Just had look, it appears that in Devon Cllrs do make the decisions, you can even declare a personal interest of knowing an applicant and still be part of the decision making !!!!

 

[borderterribles]

He wasn't best mates with the agent handling the tenancies was he? Not meant as a critism just thought it may be worth engaging someone who knew agent to look at the proposal.

No, I grew up in Derbyshire, where the Council holdings had been long since sold off, (BTW,at a subsequent unsuccessful interview in Wiltshire, the Land Agent told me that the Derbyshire County Farms had been sold for less money than Wiltshire's annual rent roll ).I hadn't been to College of any kind and knew nothing of how to present my application. However I worked in a Cattle Market and one of the Principals of the company that ran it , showed me how to set it all out, then gave it the once over when I'd put it all together. My first successful application was in Staffordshire.