County Council to sell off another farm

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

A Powys County Council farm near Llanfyllin could be sold at auction for a fee in the region of £500,000 later this month.

In a delegated decision taken Monday, the cabinet member for a connected Powys, Liberal Democrat Cllr Jake Berriman agreed the “disposal” of Gadair Farm near the town.

But the council has invoked parts of the Local Government Act 1972 to keep details of the sale a secret.

The council argues that: “The public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

Five clear working days need to pass to allow councillors the opportunity to “call in” the decision for scrutiny before it comes into force on Tuesday, February 18.

The report does say that Cllr Berriman is to “approve the final reserve price in conjunction with the property surveyor not more than three workings days prior to the auction on February 28”.

The report also explains that the farm sale has changed from “private treaty” to “public auction”.

The auction will take place more than six months after Cllr Berriman had originally agreed to allow Gadair Farm to be put for sale.

Last August, the head of property, planning and public protection Gwilym Davies was given the power “following an appropriate period of marketing and negotiation” to sell the farm for the best price they could get for it.

Gadair Farm is a six-bedroom farmhouse with agricultural buildings, and 17 acres of grazing land and woodland.

It had been advertised online over the last couple of years with an asking price of between £450,000 to £575,000.

The council has a target of £10 million to be made each year by selling assets, which would include county farms.