CAMBRIDGE University published a report this week entitled The Best Use of UK Agricultural Land by Andrew Montague-Fuller, Programme Manager at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). It highlighted the worrying fact that “Britain is running out of land for food and faces a potential shortfall of two million hectares by 2030”.

The report states that the growing population, plus the use of land for energy crops, are contributing to the shortfall – so too is the building of housing on greenfield sites. It criticises the government’s lack of a coherent vision on how to make the most of UK farm land. Overall, the UK runs a “food, feed and drink trade deficit of £18.6 billion”.

Why, then, are there plans to use a swathe of “best and most versatile agricultural land” at Chesterton Farm for a mixed-use housing development? This greenfield site has large areas of grade 2 and 3a quality agricultural land. The National Planning Policy Framework states that “where significant development of best and most versatile agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, local planning authorities should seek to use areas of poorer quality land”.

This loss of agricultural land on the doorstep of the Royal Agricultural University – who pride themselves in being “recognised nationally and internationally as a leader in the delivery of education, research and consultancy, in and relating to, agriculture and the rural environment” – seems ironic.

ANNE GOLICS

Cirencester