Decision details
Decision Maker: Corporate Director Planning, Growth and Sustainability
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
1. To renew the Farm Business Tenancy with the
current tenant, Ms Janet Pusey for a 1-year term commencing 29th
September 2022 at Bottom Park (By-Pass Land) Missenden.
And
2. To change the Grazing Licence into a Farm Business Tenancy with
the current tenant, Mr R Copas for a 10-year term commencing 31st
October 2022 at Land at Abbey and Deep Mill.
Reasons for the decision:
1. Bottom Park (By-Pass Land) Missenden
The current tenant is a good tenant with a good rent repayment
record. The tenant occupies both Bottom Park and Top Park which are
two adjoining parcels of land. The decision for this FBT with a
1-year term means that the renewal of the two tenancies will be in
sync from September 2023; this will make management more
efficient.
The current review brings the rent in line with market
values.
Alternative options considered:
An alternative would be to not renew with the
existing tenant; instead, remarket Bottom Park for rent. This would
make managing the property complicated with increased costs and is
unlikely to achieve more than the rent currently achieved.
Another alternative is that the FBT is renewed with a longer term.
That would lose the opportunity to simplify longer term management
of these holdings by having both parcels of land with
contemporaneous term dates.
2. Land at Abbey and Deep Mill – see plan below.
Comment on various elements and the relevant break clauses
applicable to each.
The current tenant is a good tenant with a good rent payment
record. The previous agreement was a short-term grazing licence
over the land and this was not getting best value for the council.
As such, we recommend a 10-year FBT at an increased rent, which
will encourage the tenant to invest in the holding.
The land is not strategic due to difficult individual access, so it
is unlikely to be put forward for alternative uses. However, we
will insert a break clause in the agreement to give the Council
flexibility should future management plans change; this break will
be on 12 months’ notice for any non- agricultural or
equestrian developmental change of use
Wards Affected: Great Missenden;
Details of any conflict of interest declared: There are no known conflicts of interest with either recommendation.
Contact: John Reed, Director of Property & Assets Email: John.Reed@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.
Publication date: 02/12/2022
Date of decision: 02/12/2022