Cheshire Farms core purpose and management policy

Management policy is focussed on the individual objectives of each Authority and Cheshire Farms Service has a general aim of improving standards of estate management, maintenance and husbandry within the context of providing opportunities to suitably qualified persons to enter agriculture to commence farming on their own account.

Both Cheshire West and East Councils Estates are run independently on a commercial basis, producing an annual operational surplus and delivering capital receipts when property is sold.

Cheshire East Borough Council

Cheshire East Council has recently completed a review of its policy in 2025/2026 and intends to continue service provision on an estate of approximately 5,000 acres. For full details see the Farms Economy and Growth Committee policy review (PDF, 182KB). We aim to provide a varied structure of entry level farm types and sizes, albeit with a preference for dairy farms, typically within 15 year fixed term farm business tenancies.

Objectives include; seeking continuous improvement in standards of estate management, maintenance, husbandry and stewardship of the land and endeavour to provide an example of how good estate management and best practice in farming are not mutually exclusive to good environmental practice.

Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council

We carried out a review and decided that we will withdraw from providing opportunities to farms over time, as an operational service objective. See the full details of the review decision details and properties currently available.

Contact Cheshire Farms Service

Contact Cheshire Farms Service - Cheshire East Council via email at cheshirefarms@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk or phone 01244 972566.