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Redundancies as Crown Estate buys up Alcan farmland

The Queen’s Crown Estate has bought the 4,500 acre Alcan Farms agricultural land portfolio in Northumberland.

The deal includes agricultural land, farm buildings, 19 homes, and an operational 13 turbine wind farm leased to Scottish Power Renewables.

It is not clear what the intentions for the land are, although a statement indicated all eight Rio Tino employees who currently work on the area will be made redundant by June.

The Crown Estate plan to rename the area the Ellington Estate, which will become part of a wider £8.1 billion portfolio which includes Regent Street and much of St James’s in London’s West End.

Ken Jones, director of the Rural and Coastal Portfolio said: “The Ellington estate is fantastic addition to our portfolio, which is particularly attractive because it presents a diverse range of income sources.

“Our expertise in this sector puts us in a great position to take advantage when opportunities like this come to the market and we will continue to utilise our specialist skills to explore future investments and drive value from our assets.”

Jon Storr, director of Alcan Farms Limited, said: “The sale to The Crown Estate ensures the land will continue to be managed and farmed to the highest standards into the future.

“Just as we did with the former smelter employees, we will provide the farm workforce with extensive practical support to help them take the next steps in their careers.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .