After months of negotiation, bidding and counter-bidding, the hammer has fallen on Trecadwgan Farm, with a local community group losing out on the farm at an auction today (Wednesday, March 4).

Trecadwgan Farm, near Solva, was sold by Pembrokeshire County Council at public auction for £757,000.

It is not known at this time who the farm has been sold to, but a BBC reporter tweeted that it had been sold to a couple from Gloucestershire not related to the community group who had hoped to purchase the farm.

In a statement on their Facebook page, Save Trecadwgan Farm, the community group who had hoped to purchase the land, said: "With great regret we announce that we were outbid at the auction today at the sale of Trecadwgan.

"Thank you so so much for your continued solidarity and support. So much appreciated.

"We are determined to continue our work and campaigning to ensure that the sale of county farms in this way does not happen again in the future. Onwards!"

The auction at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, was conducted by John Francis Estate Agents.

Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) announced last month that it would sell Trecadwgan Farm, in Solva, at auction. 

The historic farm was originally put up for auction in July 2019. The Save Trecadwgan Farm group, which hoped to create a community farm at the site, raised £50,000 in a bid to convince the council to take it out of the auction and give them time to prepare a business plan and seek finance.

A third party, who intended to allow the group to use the site, successfully bid for the farm in November. However, contractual negotiations with the council regarding overage caused one of the group's funders to back out.

Another backer was quickly found at the beginning of December and was successful in a second bidding process, with a bid being formally accepted.

However, on January 7, the group was told that a higher offer had been made and, despite the process having closed at noon on December 13, that they had effectively been "gazumped".

Members were asked if they would like to make a counter-offer.

On Monday, February 10, group member, Sue Denman, said that a closed bidding process was still underway with the agent acting for the council repeatedly asking the group if they wanted to put in counteroffers against a rival bidder.

Two days later PCC announced the farm will be sold at public auction "in order to bring the sale process to a conclusion and give interested parties a fair and transparent opportunity to purchase Trecadwgan Farm."