A petition calling on Herefordshire Council to reconsider their decision to serve notice to five farm tenant families and sell off the council’s farms has been gaining signatures on social media.

The petition follows the decision made at the Cabinet meeting in December to dispose of the council’s smallholdings and farm estates. Assurances were given to tenants that they would be looked after and there was hope that potential new landlords would keep the tenants on.

Tenant Farmers Association Chief Executive George Dunn said “The Council is steamrolling ahead with no regard for the impact of its actions on farm tenants and with no clear plan."

The petition asks people to sign to ’raise awareness’ of Herefordshire council’s plans and also urges Councillor Harry Bramer Cabinet Member for Contracts and Assets to look at the matter again.The petition can be found at https://www.change.org