Reform UK led Suffolk County Council has confirmed that it will retain its County Farms estate. The decision follows a review of the policy last confirmed on a cross-party basis in 2019. The Council said it wanted to support farming, food production and rural communities rather than seek to dispose of its estate.

The Suffolk County Council estate extends to over 12,000 acres and has 88 agricultural tenants with arable and livestock enterprises, also working to support biodiversity and nature recovery. The Council did say it would consider potential sales for development on a case-by-case basis, but such proposals will face “exceptional scrutiny” and proceed only where there is clear evidence of significant benefits for Suffolk’s farming sector, local communities and long-term food production.

TFA Chief Executive, George Dunn, said: “Suffolk County Council is a hugely important player in the county farms sector. The TFA is delighted that the Council has backed retention of these farms both for the benefit of existing farmers and potential new entrants. County Council farms are a vital part of the tenanted sector of agriculture and it is great news that this is being recognised and endorsed by the County Council.”

Why county farms matter

County farm estates, established over the past 100 years, have long provided a route into the industry for people without access to family owned land, as well as supporting the development of progressive farm businesses without the need to buy land outright. Around one third of farmed land across England is worked by tenant farmers rather than owner occupiers, under leases or tenancy agreements with private estates, family landowners or local authorities.

Suffolk’s estate is among the most significant in the country, ranking as the fourth largest local authority holding, behind Cambridgeshire at just over 30,000 acres, Lincolnshire at around 17,000 to 18,000 acres and Norfolk at around 16,000 acres.

A mixed national picture

Discussing the decision further on Gen X Suffolk Radio, Mr Dunn set Suffolk’s approach against a mixed national backdrop, noting that some local authorities have sold their county farm estates in recent years, including Somerset, Herefordshire and North Yorkshire, often citing financial pressures. He was clear that the TFA does not consider financial shortfalls a sound reason to dispose of assets that cannot be recovered once sold, given the ongoing frontline service pressures, such as education and social care, that councils must also manage.

Land use and food security

Mr Dunn also touched on the wider pressures facing farmland, including the loss of agricultural land to solar development. He argued that rooftops offer more suitable space for solar installations and that a land sharing approach, balancing food production, natural capital, environmental outcomes and renewable energy, is needed rather than treating these as competing uses.

The TFA welcomes Suffolk County Council’s decision and continues to make the case for county farms nationally as a vital part of a secure and diverse farming sector.

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This blog was written by George Dunn, Chief Executive, Tenant Farmers Association on 06 July 2026.

Related articles:

TFA CEO George Dunn speaks on Gen-X Suffolk Radio 

TFA News: Cornwall County Council Publishes Future Vision for Farm Estate

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