Ceredigion councillors have heard that 56 students are enrolled in agriculture training as the authority defended the purchase and development of its new £1.85m farm in Lampeter.

A Cambrian News investigation of the Llettytwppa Farm project found questions over governance, finances, and a lack of oversight of the plans.

A meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s Learning Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 12 November heard that Llettytwppa Farm “currently supports 56 learners registered on agricultural or land-based qualifications.”

The 56 comprises four learners currently enrolled on an agricultural apprenticeship pathway; 33 learners undertaking Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications on either a full or part-time basis; and 19 learners undertaking a part-time Entry Level qualification.

The meeting heard that the £2m loan from the Welsh Government Transforming Towns fund was applied for in February 2025 and accepted by council officers in March, months before councillors were even told about the plans.

The purchase was only made public on 16 July 2025, followed by a public Cabinet report finally revealing the purchase price of £1.85m in September 2025, six months after council officers had secured the loan at 2.15% interest.

The meeting heard the loan needed to be secured ahead of a deadline, and would have been returned to the Welsh Government if the plans weren’t given the go-ahead by councillors.

Cllr Gareth Lloyd told the meeting that while the purchase was “exciting”, he told the meeting that he heard about the council buying it from the news rather than being informed by the council itself.

Council officers are “actively exploring the opportunity of converting the loan used to purchase the farm into a grant from Welsh Government,” the meeting also heard.

The meeting heard that a further £600,000 in funding towards the farm has been allocated for 2026/27 at a Cabinet meeting on 7 July this year.

That report showed the council is spending £225,000 on machinery and equipment, and an extra £375,000 for initial site works.

£95,000 has been spent so far, the report says.

The council is also looking for external funding to pay for further developments at the site, the meeting also heard.

In both June 2025 and July 2026, the council report said, “overview and scrutiny members had the opportunity to ‘call-in’ the Cabinet decision but chose not to do so.”

Following revelations that some employees of the new centre were relations of senior officers, the meeting heard that “no senior officers were involved in the recruitment processes” and that “senior officers completed a declaration of interest form on conclusion of the pre-employment checks”.

Ceredigion County Council said: “Llettytwppa Farm has begun to establish local agricultural and land-based provision that was not previously available within Ceredigion.

“Early learner participation, school engagement and employer involvement are encouraging.

“However, the provision remains at a very early stage, and its longer-term success will depend on sustained learner demand, clear progression routes, effective partnership working, delivery of the planned capital improvements and robust monitoring of educational and financial outcomes.”