County Farms
- Located At: Staffordshire Record Office
- Date: 1901-2000
- Level: SubSection
- Extent: (9 series)
- Description: Records relating to the administration of the County Farms Estate, including registers, rentals, financial ledgers, sale catalogues and photographs.
Background
The County Council was authorised by Acts of Parliament in 1890 and 1892 to purchase land for allotments and smallholdings but it was not until a new Smallholdings and Allotments Act of 1907 that the first site for smallholdings was purchased. This was the 126 acre Whitgreave Farm near Stafford in 1909, which was divided into 3 holdings, and New House Farm near Penn was purchased in the same year. Other schemes acquired at this time were Aston Hall, near Stafford and the Bodnetts Estate near Tamworth. There was a further increase after the end of WW1 when the County Council was active in implementing the provisions of the Land Settlement (Facilities) Act, 1919. Whilst earlier acts placed emphasis on settling people engaged in agriculture and allied crafts, the main emphasis of the 1919 Act was the settlement of returning ex-servicemen. Typical developments at this time were Yarlet Scheme near Stafford, Cocknange, near Longton and the Rolleston Estate near Burton on Trent. Many of the small units of less than 10 acres were created in the years 1920-1926. Under the provisions of the 1926 Smallholdings and Allotments Act typical developments were at Penkridge and Church Eaton, Old Wood Estate near Rugeley and Whitemere Farm Estate near Yoxall. By 1939 the area of smallholdings had been increased to 7635 acres scattered throughout the County, occupied by some 334 tenants. The 1947 Agriculture Act required County Councils to provide smallholdings for 'the purpose of affording to persons with agricultural experience an opportunity of becoming farmers on their own account'. In Staffordshire 16 new farms were developed at Pessall Farm near Edingale, Rowley Farm near Hamstall Ridware and at Standon Bowers. Following this post-war increase in acreage, since the early 1970s the emphasis has been on consolidating and improving the Estate, amalgamating or disposing of non-viable units. [For further information about this development see C/A/14/8/5.] By 1990 there were some 8500 acres with 191 tenants and in 2000 there were 8866 acres with 168 tenants. By 2012 County Farms managed 106 farms covering over 8,599 acres providing opportunities for new starters in agriculture to set up a business on a let farm, with a house, farm buildings and land.
Administration
The initial work in the County was carried out through the Allotments Committee (1891-1908) and the Smallholdings Committee, (1893-1908) followed by the Smallholdings and Allotments Committee (1908-1920). Responsibility for smallholdings was assumed by the County Agricultural Committee (1920-1949) set up following the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Act, 1919. The Agricultural Committee also took over the duties of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Committee (1889-1920) under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Acts. The Committee was renamed County Smallholdings (1950-1973). This was replaced in 1974 with the Countryside, Agriculture and Waste Disposal Committee (1974-1976) which in turn became the County Farms and Agriculture Committee (1977-1989). The Enterprise and Economic Development Committee (1989-1997) and the Development Services Committee (1997-2003) later absorbed the functions of these committees within a wider remit. From 2004 rural affairs came under the umbrella of the Regeneration Scrutiny Committee. - Access Conditions: Minimum of two working days advance notice is required for production
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