Swindon Borough Council could be stopped from selling any of its farms for housing, or any other purchase if a Conservative motion is passed on Thursday.

The council, which is largely urban, owns about 10 farms mostly dotted around outer more rural areas of the borough.

And two Conservative Councillors, from those areas, Matty Courtliff from Lydiard & Freshbrook and Brian Ford who represent Wroughton, have submitted a motion which says the council should try to help farmers by making sure there are farms for them to take over.

Councillor Courtliff told the Local Democracy Reporter: “The council owns a large amount of between Wroughton and Junction 16 of the M4.

“Historically, council-owned farms sprang up just after the Second World War when home-grown food was an absolute necessity, and looking at the world today food security is hugely important.”

Cllr Courtliff said land in Britain was being bought up in large amounts by companies and wealthy individuals as part of tax efficiency schemes and added: “It’s increasingly difficult for ordinary people to find a farm to run, to get into farming.

“The council might be looking at some of its farms to sell and I brought this motion to make sure the farms it does own are kept as farms to help with all these issues.”

The motion says: “The opportunity for people to enter farming is small, with Farmers Weekly reporting that aristocratic families, large corporations and high net-worth individuals dominate ownership.

“The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and the need to promote home-grown farming for food security has increased with global political uncertainty.

“Council farms provide opportunities for innovation and new entrants into the farming sector, but the Council for the Protection of Rural England reports that the number of council farms has halved since 1970.

"The council owns a number of farms in the borough, with large landholdings in Wroughton in particular.

“The importance of these farms in the local food supply chain was evident during the COVID pandemic."

It adds: “Farmers play an active role in conservation and care of the countryside and natural assets while development of greenfield sites negatively contributes to climate change targets.”

If the motion is passed, and it would need Labour support to do so, the council would have to: “Ensure the Borough’s council-owned farms are protected and only used for farming purposes; support the Borough’s tenants to ensure they are maximising their sustainable farming opportunities and not dispose of any SBC farms in its portfolio of landholdings.”