Herefordshire sows 4,000-acre rural sell-off

Fifty-nine farms and smallholdings spread across Herefordshire are being put up for sale by the council in one of the largest rural land sales of its kind. The Herefordshire Farms portfolio is being sold with a price tag of more then £40m and covers more than 4,000 acres. The estates earn the council about around £400,000 a year but have a liability of almost £3m. The plots range from £175,000 to £2m in value. Most are vacant and include farms, smallholdings, farmland, houses and cottages. Stuart Flint, head of agency at Fisher German, which is acting for the council, said the size and scope of the sale was unusual. “It is very rare for such a wide range of property holdings to be sold in a single process – and this sort of sale happens once every 10 years or so,” he said. “The lots range from cottages and smallholdings, to  the Grade II* listed Clearbrook Farm House at Pembridge, plus larger tracts of land and commercial farms, and the valuation process and consultation with tenants has taken more than 12 months.” To send feedback, e-mail alex.peace@egi.co.uk or tweet @egalexpeace or @estatesgazette