CAMPAIGNERS trying to buy a county farm to turn into a resource for the local community say they are "terribly disappointed" at the news that it will be sold at public auction next month.

After months of negotiation, bidding and counter-budding, Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) announced last Wednesday that it will sell Trecadwgan Farm, in Solva, at auction. It is listed with estate agents John Francis at a guide price of around £650,000

The historic farm was originally put up for auction in July 2019. The Save Trecadwgan Farm group, which hopes to create a community farm at the site, raised £50,000 in a bid to convince the council to take it out of the auction and give them time to prepare a business plan and seek finance.

A third party, who intended to allow the group to use the site, successfully bid for the farm in November. However, contractual negotiations with the council regarding overage caused one of the group's funders to back out.

Another backer was quickly found at the beginning of December and was successful in a second bidding process, with a bid being formally accepted.

However, on January 7, the group was told that a higher offer had been made and, despite the process having closed at 12 noon on December 13, that they had effectively been "gazumped".

Members were asked if they would like to make a counter-offer.

Last Monday, February 10, group member, Sue Denman, said that a closed bidding process was still underway with the agent acting for the council repeatedly asking the group if they wanted to put in counter offers against a rival bidder.

However two days later PCC announced the farm will be sold at public auction "in order to bring the sale process to a conclusion and give interested parties a fair and transparent opportunity to purchase Trecadwgan Farm."

"We are terribly disappointed that the council has taken this action and we are disappointed at the lack of communication with the council," said Save Trecadwgan campaigner, Gerald Miles.

"The question is why does PCC act in this way when it's supposed to be looking after the community? The council is supposed to be working for us but it doesn't respect our opinions and our desires.

"It feels as if they don't wish us to buy it. We would like a face to face meeting with them. We are really trying to buy it to create a community farm to benefit the community. It's in their favour to do this."

The council says it has a duty under section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972 to obtain the highest amount of money possible for the property and to give consideration to any offer made.

"The council has, due to the statutory provisions, found itself in a difficult and time-consuming sales process," said Cllr Bob Kilmister, cabinet member for finance.

"Therefore to ensure that the sale process can be brought to a conclusion and ensure that all interested parties are given a fair and transparent opportunity to purchase the farm, the council has decided to sell the farm by way of a public auction.

"Generally it is expected that land should be sold for the best consideration reasonably obtainable."

He went onto say that, although there are circumstances where a council can dispose of land at a price below its commercial value, the authority had decided not to do so in this instance as the farm will create an essential "substantial capital receipt".

Mr Miles said that Save Trecadwgan's backer will be bidding at the auction at Parc y Scarlets on March 4.

"So many of these farms have been turned into holiday complexes and have been lost for good," he said.

"Our backer will be bidding, hoping to buy it to create this community farm that we feel strongly about.

"That could be of so much benefit to the community of Solva; working with Solva Care and having workshops and education for the young generations of farmers. There are so many things we could do in that place to keep it in the countryside culture and benefit the community."