COUNCILLORS have voted to support a motion supporting Cornwall’s farmers after a debate at a meeting of Cornwall Council in Truro today.

The motion, submitted for debate by Cllr Nick Craker, called for three steps to be taken by the authority:

• That the leader of the council writes to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the six Cornwall MPs, to outline the council’s dismay at the decision in the Budget to restrict Agricultural Property Relief and calls on the government to stop the Family Farm Tax.

• That the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change engages with local farmers and community representatives to consider what support the council can provide to support them.

• A progress update is provided to all councillors, following the motion of May 23, 2023, ‘Supporting Cornwall’s Farmers’.

An additional amendment, submitted by Cllr Tim Dwelly, was also supported by members, calling on the council to undertake an analysis of how many farms would be affected by the changes in national policy announced in the recent budget.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “I was pleased to see such widespread support across the chamber for the motion supporting our farmers.

“As I said in the debate, our farmers play a central role in our daily life in Cornwall, and it is vital we do all we can to stand up for them and to ask our MPs to pressure the government to change this policy which would be disastrous for the industry.

“I think it was very telling that there were only one or two people speaking in favour of these changes, no one seems to think they are a good or fair idea.

“We will do all we can to support our farmers, and this is an issue that is not going to go away.”

Read how events unfolded in our live blog.