Royal land set to be sold off in Devon
Martin BodmanLand which is part of the Duchy of Cornwall in Devon, which is owned by the Prince of Wales, is set to be sold.
The Bradninch estate, near Cullompton, has been part of the duchy for centuries and was inherited by Prince William after his father became King.
Resident of the estate John Palmer said it was "unexpected and shocking news, and is enormously stressful for tenants and employees of the duchy estate".
A spokesperson for the duchy said tenants could buy their own land and their priority was "to manage the process with compassion and to give our tenants as much time and support as possible".
The prince inherited the portfolio of land, property and investments which is valued at more than £1b and provides him with a private income of nearly £23 million a year.
The money is used to fund the charitable, private and official lives of the prince, the Princess of Wales and their children.
In a letter to The Times newspaper, Palmer said: "It is said that the tenants will have first option of buying their farms, some of which have been in the same family for generations.
"It will be difficult or impossible for some duchy tenants to raise the necessary capital in these financially challenging times for British farmers."
George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association, said: "Obviously, the association is disappointed that the duchy is selling, but it is part of their current plans for rationalisation and, in the world of the second best, the association is pleased, at least, to see that sitting tenants are to be given first refusal on purchasing."
He said the association had received "no reports of tenants receiving notices to quit".
"Obviously, where the tenant is unable or unwilling to purchase the freehold, there will be a major upheaval in respect of their farm businesses given their expectation to have been tenants on those farms into the long-term in light of the long-term nature of Duchy of Cornwall tenancies."
'Tough decisions'
Will Bax, chief executive of the Duchy of Cornwall, said there had been a review into where "we can make the most social and environmental impact across our existing portfolio".
"We will be reinvesting significantly in areas where there is the greatest need and potential," he said.
"To drive this social and environmental impact means making some very tough decisions.
"These decisions are made carefully and with a long-term view."
He said many of the farm tenants have said it was an "exciting opportunity for their families to buy their own properties for the first time".
