Somerset County farms stay or go?

 ON THURSDAY July 8th Somerset County Council scrutiny committee will be looking again at the issues of the wholesale disposal of  Somerset County Farms, this could be the last chance to save them and the public have been asked again for their support.(please read previous report)The meeting will be at 10am supposedly at Shire Hall Taunton.

  So many people turned up to the cabinet meeting last month that it had to be moved to the larger rooms at Shire Hall, this caused a delay of half an hour as everyone walked around to the other building and then had to queue to get through the stringent security; due to it being the court rooms.

 People trying to get to the court rooms for other business were then delayed as they had to get on the end of the huge line while those of us there for the council meeting had to give up our cameras (event though mobiles phones usually have them and they are permitted) District councillor  for Neroche ward Linda Vijeh had to give up a Swiss army knife and mini screwdriver she carries in her handbag and was about to kick up a fuss when she was told she might not get them back, but the guard relented.

 Despite passionate arguements by the farmers who to their credit did not even bring up the fact that they and their families stood to be homeless and jobless if the farms are sold,concentrating only on the loss to us all, it all appeared to fall on deaf ears.

There were speakers from the NFU,Wildlife  Trust,Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, Young Farmers,District and County Council  as well as the Farm Tenants Association who all put the case for biodiversity, the need for more farms not less and especially small affordable starts for young farmers.

The cabinet of eight unanimously voted to view the sale of all the farms on a farm by farm basis over the next two months, but ut appears they have been called to take another look.

Judging by last time, I think there will be a massive protest on the 8th. As someone pointed out, this VALUABLE LAND belongs to all of us as tax payers and once the farms are lost they will be gone forever,what next for the land??