The rural director committed to commissioning new independent valuations, jointly instructed by both the Duchy and tenants, and agreed to reconsider how tenant-funded improvements should be factored in. One tenant described the tone as reassuring but cautioned that “talk is cheap” and the “proof will be in the pudding”.
The sale involves a 1,215-hectare holding, roughly 3,000 acres, that has formed part of the Duchy of Cornwall since the 14th century. Its disposal has triggered fierce opposition from the local community.
William inherited the Duchy from his father in 2022 and is now offloading approximately a fifth of its total landholding. The proceeds are intended to fund other priorities, including efforts to address homelessness and the climate crisis.
The prince’s broader plan is to concentrate the Duchy’s resources on five geographic “heartlands”: the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Dartmoor, Bath and Kennington in south London. Bradninch falls outside these designated areas.