LETTER FROM DAVID WILLIAMS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF GUILFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL, USED IN REPLY TO OBJECTION LETTERS.

Dear Resident,

Thank you for your message objecting to the proposed sale of the Council’s land at Tyting Farm. I appreciate the strength of your views, and whilst I may not be able to change your opinion, I will set out the background and outline the safeguards that the Council is putting in place to protect this important part of the borough.

The Council acquired the farm in 1942 and has granted a number of agricultural tenancies since that time, the last of which was terminated because of the tenant’s failure to pay rent. The Council is required by the Government to provide information on the financial performance of its property assets and on the justification for holding various types of property. Unfortunately, Tyting Farm has not performed well for many years, primarily because it is too small to be a viable agricultural enterprise.

The decision to sell the farm was taken as a last resort following considerable discussion and careful consideration of possible alternative uses. At each stage the Council has worked hard to make sure that local residents have been kept informed of progress. We have in particular been in very close touch with the Tyting Society and with the Surrey Wildlife Trust. Whilst none of these groups was enthusiastic about the proposal to sell, it has to be said that they raised no fundamental objection once the situation (and in particular the proposed covenants) had been explained to them.

The property is being marketed in the alternative, offers being invited for the whole or for one or more of six lots, three of which are areas of open farmland. The entire property is within the Metropolitan Green Belt, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and an Area of Great Landscape Value, and the very strict planning regime imposed by these designations will be reinforced by the imposition on any sale of new covenants restricting the use of the vast majority of the property to grazing land for agricultural or equestrian purposes. Certain agricultural uses, including pig farming, market gardening and intensive poultry rearing are specifically prohibited. Further covenants will prevent the land being used as extensions to existing residential gardens and also restrict the amount of fencing that may be erected.

The main farmhouse may be used only as a single private dwelling or farmhouse, while the land outside its immediate residential garden is restricted in the same way as the existing agricultural land. The Lodge, which is adjacent to the entrance to the Farm, will be subject to a covenant preventing its use otherwise than as a single private dwelling house with a residential garden.

Lot 3, which includes the Farm Buildings, will be subject to the same general agricultural restriction, although there is a provision that will permit the use of the buildings for any other purposes for which planning permission for conversion or change of use may be granted. It should be emphasised that the ‘potential’ of these buildings is very limited indeed given the strict planning policies applicable to the area.

The Council and its agents have received a number of expressions of interest in the property and these will all be considered together in due course. The Council is not under any obligation to accept the highest or indeed any offer for either the whole or any of the lots and all representations made to the Council will of course be considered before a final decision is made.

Whilst I can appreciate that this may not change your opposition to the sale, I hope that it will at least explain the Council's position and the safeguards the Council is putting in place.

LETTER FROM HOLY TRINITY WARD COUNCILLORS, MAYOR TAMSY BAKER (LIB DEM), GORDON BRIDGER (LIB DEM) AND SARAH CREEDY (CONSERVATIVE) TO LOCAL RESIDENTS.

PROPOSED SALE OF TYTING FARM

We are writing to you in our capacity as local councillors for your area, about the Council’s plan to sell Tyting Farm. You may well have received literature or information about this sale and we would like to inform you of a few facts which you may find useful to consider. We are of course happy to discuss this with you further if that would be helpful.

As local residents we all know Tyting as an important part of a very lovely area of open countryside. Unfortunately the history of the farm has not been as happy as its situation. During the last tenancy of the farm the animals were neglected to such an extent that they had to be destroyed and repairing and rental obligations were not honoured. Professional advice given to the Council now is that Tyting is too small to be a viable agricultural enterprise even if considerable sums were spent on it to restore its land and buildings.

Over the last year we and council officers have worked closely with local residents exploring options for the farm. And that work has meant that a sale of the farm is now seen as an appropriate way of securing the long term future of this piece of land. Naturally we understand concerns about “development” in this area and for that reason have worked to ensure that all possible legal and planning safeguards have been put in place.

Tyting is being marketed either as a whole or in up to six plots. Specific planning guidance and additional legal covenants will be imposed on sale. This is a to send a clear message to any would-be purchasers, and also to reassure local residents, that any development is severely restricted. Here are a few important points from that planning guidance:

1. The use of the larger three plots of land is restricted to grazing for agricultural or agricultural purposes. No building will be permitted there.
   
2. The main farmhouse (awful design in very bad state) can be demolished but can be replaced only with a single dwelling of similar size. This also applies to the lodge by the front entrance.
   
3. The present farm buildings are also subject to agricultural restrictions with very limited development potential, which could only be within their present footprint.
   
4. The openness of this area of Greenbelt will be maintained.

In short, because of the planning and legal restrictions Tyting Farm will have no housing estates and no large scale developments. New covenants also exclude market gardening, pig farming and intensive poultry farming. And the Council will rigorously enforce covenants and planning policies.

Finally, the Council is not just obliged to accept the highest offer. We shall be considering too, the prospective purchaser’s plans for the land and whether they promote the sustainability in the long term for this lovely area.

Obviously there are more details that can be given but we hope this letter gives you some understanding of why the Council has decided to sell Tyting and how that process will be managed. We are keeping closely in touch with the sale as it progresses. Our details are at the top of this letter so do get in touch if we can help any further with this. To ensure that all those who are interested in the future of Tyting Farm have the opportunity to read this letter we have asked that a copy of it be posted on the “Save Tyting Farm” website.