280 acres of farming land in Midhurst to be taken back by National Trust - Residents 'not happy'

Residents that live on the Woolbeding Estate are ‘not happy’ about National Trust plans to take back 280 acres of agricultural land. Resident Helen Baker said: “This time last year, we started to get rumours that our neighbour (that has the land) had been asked to give the tenancy back on some of the land.

“We approached the National Trust, and they seemed really cagey about it. They claimed that nothing had been decided, but it’s now been confirmed. It’s not all the land, but it’s still 280 acres they're taking back, which is quite a sizeable amount of agricultural land.

“I think it's wrong that they should take this agricultural land out of production when the world economy is not great with issues in places like Ukraine. We should be promoting our farmers to produce and grow crops.

The other thing we’re very cross about is there’s been no attempt to have any consultation with the local community. It seems like they’ve just bulldozed this through. I've been here for 40 years and raised a family here. This is where I live.”

A National Trust spokesman said: “The work at Woolbeding Farm is part of a bigger project to reverse the fortunes of our local wildlife. It includes restoring the River Rother and its floodplain to help species such as kingfisher, lapwing and wild trout, and improving the condition of the internationally important Woolbeding Common.

"On the farm, we’re aiming to stabilise soils and, as a result, improve the health of the river. We are creating new woodland and wood pasture, which will support wildlife such as nightingales, turtle doves and orchids, while sequestering carbon.

“While the use of the land may be changing, we’re not taking it out of production. The land coming back in hand will produce high quality, high welfare beef from Sussex and Belted Galloway cattle, as well as creating great habitat for wildlife and providing benefits for the community.

We’re also taking the opportunity to substantially improve access for people across the estate. We’re in regular contact with the community and take any concerns seriously. We have given talks at Woolbeding Parish Council and to interested groups in Midhurst and Haslemere and we’ll be inviting everyone to an open day in the spring, with dates to be announced shortly.

"Change is challenging and we want to work with the local community to ensure they are part of the process. So far people have raised the issues of local views, joining up existing access with new routes, extending cycle access and concerns about livestock and dogs walkers.

"We will be continuing to listen to what people have to say and adapting our plans. Evidence shows that restoring nature and tackling climate change are critical for long-term food security.

"We all need healthy soils, clean water, and thriving nature. All these will help ensure the future of sustainable food production. We are planning to apply to various funding streams to support this work, including government stewardship and woodland creation funds.”