Plans mooted for council-run herd in Bristol

Bristol City Council wants to run its own herd of cows to provide beef for the city's schools and posh restaurants.

The council is considering taking over Stoke Park, the 200-acre parkland in front of the landmark Dower House alongside the M32.

If the deal goes ahead, the local authority plans to graze cows on the land and start producing its own beef.

It is believed that Bristol would be the first local authority in the country to do this.

But the council has refused point blank to answer any questions about the proposal ahead of a cabinet meeting next Thursday, when a final decision is set to be made.

It means there are no details about the scale of the operation, how it would be run or when it might start.

No details have been provided about the practicalities of the scheme, where the animals would be slaughtered or whether they would also produce milk or leather from the herd.

The authority has refused to answer questions about potential legal issues surrounding any future outbreak of mad cow disease if local authority meat was given to school children.

And it has also decided not to address the potential effect on local businesses who already produce beef for the city.

A report to next week's cabinet meeting recommends it approves buying the land.

Parks services manager Peter Wilkinson said: "The working title for this wider city food initiative is Bristol Beef, which promises to create a supply of local meat for Bristol schools as part of the transforming school meals programme, as well as perhaps exploiting high-end markets in local restaurants.

"Bristol Parks already markets organic venison from Ashton Court, which is also on the menu of the new Bistro in the Visitor Centre, so the Bristol Beef concept presents and opportunity to expand this service.

"This fits well with the city's green capital initiative."

A feasibility study, funded by Natural England, would be carried out to recommend suitable breeds of livestock, such as Long Horn or Dexters.

Stoke Park would continue to serve as parkland for the public.

The land is currently owned by developers Barrett and George Wimpey, who under a section 106 planning agreement with South Gloucestershire Council now want to transfer the property to a long-term owner.

If the council take over the land it will receive a £1.2-million endowment from the developers' consortium, which will be largely used to fund set-up costs.

The endowment would provide £40,000 of the estimated yearly £130,000 running costs, which would include hiring a ranger and maintenance.

Mr Wilkinson states in his report the cost could be offset by the income, grants and interest from the endowment fund.

The consortium of developers had originally planned to transfer the park to the Greenbelt group, a holding company which conserves open space after a development has been completed.

But a spokesman for Greenbelt said the organisation no longer had any interest in the site, which removes any obstacle to the council's plan.

The National Farmers Union has backed the idea, saying it could provide jobs and will keep produce local.

NFU spokesman for the South West Ian Johnson said: "It's a very enlightened idea.

"The council is unlikely to have the necessary expertise in its own ranks, so it is an opportunity for people who have difficulty getting into the farming industry.

"It's not a case of taking bread our of existing farmers mouths.

"Local food is preferable to imports.

"At the moment, the way things are set, it is difficult for farmers to break into public procurement, so it's got to be win-win."

Mr Johnson said if the council buys the land it could be entitled to a Single Farm Payment from the European Union.

This subsidy is given to farmers and varies upon the type and number of cows kept.

A council spokesman said: "The report will be considered by full cabinet when they meet next week."

Farmer John Hendy, 37, who runs Down Farm at Codrington with his family said he thought that although the council's proposals wouldn't harm his businesses, the operation may not be big enough for their own ambitions and security may be an issue.

Mr Hendy said: "There needs to be more information, but I would not have thought there would be enough meat produced for one school.

"It depends on what kind of animals they have down there, but if you had 60 big animals over 100 acres, each one would produce enough meat for 10 people for six months.

"They would have to have staff to run it, special slaughterhouses to go to and what would they do with the not-so-great cuts of meat?

"At the moment they only get the cuts they want.

"Livestock don't look after themselves, we work 24/7 here.

"If it's the area I'm thinking of, we farmed it for hay 10 years ago, but kids would burn the trailer, cut the hay bails.

"It was more or less a liability.

"But at the moment it's all hypothetical."