Sir William Worsley has been confirmed as the new Chair of the Forestry Commission and will take up his role on 10th February 2020. Further details can be found in the news release on the GOV.UK website.
In preparation for the UK leaving the EU, DEFRA (in conjunction with Farmers Weekly) has recorded a podcast on funding for farmers. This covers:- DEFRA funding for farmers in 2020 and beyond; Wider funding for farmers; and Trade and promoting the farming sector....
The CAAV has launched a new podcast. In the first episode, the Secretary and Adviser to the CAAV, Jeremy Moody, gives his analysis of the future challenges that farming businesses will face, how they should act now and prepare for change with the role of the Valuer as a trusted adviser helping clients through this. He also discusses some highlights of the CAAV’s most recent publication called ‘Reviewing a Business: An Introduction for Agricultural Valuers’. You can listen to the podcast...
The Environment Bill is to be introduced into Parliament later today (30th January 2020). This "ground-breaking Bill will enshrine environmental principles in law and introduce measures to improve air and water quality, tackle plastic pollution and restore habitats so plants and wildlife can thrive." Please see the press release for further details....
DEFRA has launched a new online resource "to help ensure better environmental decision-making by valuing our 'natural capital'". The 'Enabling a Natural Capital Approach' (ENCA) resource is available on the GOV.UK website and brings together guidance, data, analytical tools and case studies to "help policy makers, businesses, landowners and public sector organisations make better planning decisions in order to protect and boost natural capital."...
The Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and Natural England have outlined a shared "vision" and practical actions to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies, in response to the Committee on Climate Change's "Land Use: Policies for a Net Zero UK" report published today....
The RPA has issued a Press Release giving an update on progress with making BPS, Countryside Stewardship (CS) and Environmental Stewardship (ES) 2019 payments, as well as indicative 2020 plans for all of these schemes . The key points are summarised below:- Almost 97% of eligible BPS claimants should have received a BPS 2019 payment by 20th January 2020 (overall worth of £1.69 billion); £109 million of CS/ES 2019 payments made (more than double what was paid out by this time last year);...
Landowners are being warned of the hidden risks and responsibilities associated with having telecommunications masts on their land. The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) is urging landowners to request information on radiation exclusion zones from operators of telecoms masts located on their land. Though non-ionising, significant levels of exposure to the radio waves emitted by base stations on telecoms masts can affect health, requiring exclusion zones to protect people, says...
Village halls in England have received £1.2 million funding to assist with improvements such as roof repairs, refurbishing kitchens and creating new meeting rooms. This funding has been provided as part of the Government's Village Halls Improvement Grant Scheme which has a total fund of £3 million available. Applications can still be made for grants of up to £75,000 (20% of the total eligible costs of a project). Further information on applying can be found on the Action with Communities in...
The return of the Agriculture Bill is a welcome announcement for farmers and the entire industry; giving shape to developing post-Brexit policy in England. “This is a monumental moment for agriculture,” says Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV). “This passing of the Agriculture Bill will be our generation’s 1947 moment; where we have a life changing opportunity to review the national expectations of agriculture and set out the...
The Agriculture Bill is to be introduced into Parliament later today. A news release is available on the GOV.UK website. It will give the legislative framework for aspects including:- Phasing out direct payments over the seven year "agricultural transition" period which will start from next year (2021) and see direct payments reduced to nil by 2028; "Later in the agricultural transition", "de-link" direct payments, removing the need to "farm the land" to receive payment; and Paying farmers...
Edwin Poots, DUP MLA for Lagan Valley, has been appointed as Minister for Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Teresa Villers MP, has delivered a speech, 'A vision for future farming', at the Oxford Farming Conference earlier today. The speech can be viewed on the GOV.UK website.
The Government confirmed in November 2019 that the Farming Recovery Fund would be extended for farmers affected by flooding in parts of South Yorkshire, Gloucestershire and the Midlands. This extended fund opens for applications today (6th January) and farmers can apply for grants of between £500 and £25,000 to assist with repair costs, re-cultivation and replacing items such as damaged gates. The close date for applications to this extended fund is 31st July 2020. A news release on the GOV.UK...
The Chancellor has confirmed that just under £3 billion of funding will be made available to farmers for 2020. The £2.852 billion will be used to maintain the funding for direct payments (the Basic Payment, the greening payment, the Young Farmer payment and Scottish Voluntary Coupled Payments) at the same level as 2019 and to supplement the remaining EU funding for the UK's Rural Development Programmes. Further details are available on the GOV.UK website....
The State Opening of Parliament took place earlier today and the Queen's Speech set out the government's agenda for the next session of Parliament. It outlined 29 Bills, including the reintroduction of the Agriculture Bill and the Environment Bill. Further information is available in the Queen's Speech December 2019 background briefing notes....
Three estate agents in Berkshire have been fined a total of more than £600,000 for establishing a cartel to set minimum commission rates for residential property sales. A fourth agent involved in the cartel avoided a fine by reporting the activity to the Competition and Markets Authority. The CMA has a Stop Cartels campaign, details of which can be found at https://stopcartels.campaign.gov.uk/
The RPA has made BPS 2019 payments to over 92.4% of claimants (approximately 79,000) during the first two weeks since the payment window opened on 2nd December 2019. Further details are available on the GOV.UK website.
The Prince's Countryside Fund and Forest Holidays have joined together to offer a £5,000 start-up grant to a rural entrepreneur for a new rural business venture. The closing date for applications is 6th March 2020 and further details are available on the Prince's Countryside Fund website.
DEFRA has confirmed that Low Pathogenic Avian Flu (H5 strain) has been found on a chicken farm near Athelington in Mid Suffolk. A 1km restriction zone has been placed around the affected farm. Further information is available on the GOV.UK website.
The RPA has started making BPS 2019 payments to farmers in England from today (2nd December). A press release is available on the GOV.UK website.
The RPA has begun making BPS 2019 payments to farmers in England from today (2nd December). A press release is available on the GOV.UK website.
CAAV Members can benefit from a discounted ticket price to attend the inaugural Cultivate Conference which takes place on Wednesday, 29th January 2020, at Heaton House Farm, near Macclesfield. Why attend? Change is a constant factor, never more-so than in the rural and agricultural sector. Cultivate is an inaugural business growth conference focused on helping rural businesses and individuals with a growth mindset to innovate further, to collaborate and to thrive. It’s your opportunity to...
Take a look at the video of Jeremy Moody's presentation on 'Preparing for Change' at the Innovation & Diversification Wales event. View Video
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Anyone wanting to claim agricultural property relief from Inheritance Tax on a farmhouse or business property relief as a farmer must be actively farming in the last years of life, a recent Tribunal has confirmed. According to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), the First Tier Tribunal decision in Charnley v HMRC demonstrates the need for clear evidence to show that the farmer is actively farming in their final years to benefit from such tax relief. In this case, HMRC...
Telecoms operators, trying to slash rents on mast sites, may have been using the wrong legal procedure in pressing for the renewal of leases, according to a recent Upper Tribunal decision. In the case of CTIL v Ashloch and AP Wireless, a rooftop mast site was let on a business lease to Vodafone which was then transferred to CTIL. The original lease pre-dated the new Electronic Communications Code and therefore fell under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, explains Jeremy Moody, secretary and...
Wales' Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths, has confirmed that the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in Wales will continue in 2021 (subject to available UK government funding), meaning the transition to the proposed new Land Management Programme would not start until 2022. A news release is available on the Welsh Government website.
The Government has announced that it will offer grants of up to £5,000 to help make homes and business premises more resilient to future flooding. The funds will be available through local authorities from the end of November. Further details are available in the Government press release.
The Government has announced that householders and businesses "which have been intensely affected by the flooding" will be eligible for 100% relief from business rates and council tax for the next 3 months. Further detail is available on the GOV.UK website.
Wales' Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn, has announced an additional £4m funding for 2019/20 to assist National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) in Wales with delivering key improvements. Further details are available on the Welsh Government website.
The Government has announced that the Farming Recovery Fund will be extended to offer funding to farmers affected by the recent flooding in Yorkshire and the Midlands. This Fund was opened again earlier this year following the flooding over the summer in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire and it will allow farmers to apply for between £500 and £25,000 to cover non-insurable items such as removing debris from agricultural land and reinstating field boundaries. Details of this extended fund are being...
The government has issued an update on the current flooding situation in England and the work being done by the Environment Agency, emergency responders and local authorities in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Please see the GOV.UK website for further details.
The Government has announced a moratorium on fracking in England after the Oil and Gas Authority concluded that it was not currently possible to accurately predict the probability or magnitude of tremors associated with hydraulic fracturing. Fracking operations at Cuadrilla's Preston site were suspended in August when an earthquake measuring 2.9 was recorded nearby. Further information is available on the GOV.UK website....
Jeremy Moody will be speaking at a series of Farming Connect events across Wales starting in Ffostrasol, near Llandysul, tonight. He will be presenting under the title of ‘Preparing for Change’. Take a look at the video (prepared by Farming Connect) showing highlights of his recent presentation at the Innovation & Diversification Wales event. View Video
As a part of the National Sheep Association’s Brexit Toolkit, our Kate Russell took part in a podcast where she gave her top diversification tips. Listen here
A reminder for all CAAV members: please complete the 2019 CAAV Fees Survey! The survey form is on the CAAV website under Members Docs/Professional Matters/Fees.
DEFRA has confirmed that £35m (which could be increased to £50m subject to the number of "high-quality" applications received) of funding is being made available to rural businesses under the Growth Programme. The funding is available for projects which create new jobs, increase business turnover, improve productivity, etc. The minimum grant threshold has been reduced from £35,000 to £20,000 to allow smaller businesses to be eligible for a grant. The Expression of Interest (EOI) window will...
Area-based subsidy payments have subdued farmland letting across England and Wales since their introduction in 2003 – and continued to do so in 2018. According to the annual Central Association of Agricultural Valuer’s (CAAV) Agricultural Land Occupation Survey, very little land changed hands in the year to 31 October 2018, with fresh lettings falling by 15% to 4,651 acres. Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the CAAV, attributes this to area payments, which rewards the occupation of...
Scottish Land and Estates and Soil Association Scotland have joined forces to offer a Landscape Leadership Programme aimed at land managers who want to effect environmental change at a landscape scale. "We want to hear from applicants who have a vision of the environmental change they want to see in their landscape, but who are facing barriers to change. The Landscape Leadership programme will help develop the skills needed to make that change happen." The closing date for applications is 22nd...
Crown Estate Scotland has published its Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31st March 2019. Highlights from the 2018-19 annual report include: £11.4m revenue profit returned to The Scottish Government for public spending, against target of £7.3m The launch of the Local Management Pilots Scheme, enabling communities and local authorities to apply to manage Scottish Crown Estate assets The development of ScotWind Leasing, a new offshore wind leasing process for future projects...
The President of the EU Council, Donald Tusk, has confirmed agreement in principle to there being a "flextension" to Brexit until 31st January 2020 if required. Further details can be found on the BBC News website.
Farmers Weekly is running two Soils in Practice events, on 12th November 2019 at Coldstream in the Borders and on 14th November 2019 at Duxford in Cambridgeshire. The events aim to help attendees understand some of the practical steps that can be taken to measure and promote healthy soil in a sustainable farm setting. Experts will present interactive theoretical and practical sessions on topics including: measuring soil components, nutrient management and pest mitigation, cover crops, organic...
Issues with rural housing are obstructing farming retirement and new entrants, limiting the progression of UK agriculture, says the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV). It needs to be freed up to help handle the loss of Basic Payment. A new report on Retirement Housing for farmers in the United Kingdom, has highlighted specific issues in rural housing, flagging up the need to make changes in order to allow the younger generation to drive the industry forward. Housing is so often...
The Chinese government has finalised details of a UK-China agreement meaning UK farmers and beef producers will have full access to the Chinese market, estimated to be worth £230 million, for the first time in over 20 years. Further details can be found on the GOV.UK website.
The director of a property development company and the company itself - Enzo Homes - have been fined a total of £300,000 for the illegal felling of a giant redwood and 72 other trees near Swansea. The trees had been subject to a Tree Preservation Order. The tree surgeon who carried out the work was also fined £120,000 at Swansea Magistrates Court.
Later today (15th October), the government will introduce the Environment Bill to Parliament "to tackle the biggest environmental priorities of our time, signalling a historic step change in the way we protect and enhance our precious natural environment." Further details can be found on the GOV.UK website....
The State Opening of Parliament took place ealier today and the Queen's Speech set out the government's agenda for the next session of Parliament. It annouced 26 Bills, including the reintroduction of the Agriculture Bill and an Environment Bill.
Poultry keepers are being urged by the Chief Veterinary Officers across the UK to make preparations now in order to reduce the risk of avian influenza in their birds over the coming winter months. Please see the GOV.UK website for further information.
The Scottish Land Commission is offering a £1,000 award to any student studying at a Scottish academic institution who undertakes a land reform related piece of research. The closing date for submissions is 24th January 2020 and details are available on the Scottish Land Commission website.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered a Statement in the House of Commons on the Brexit negotiations with the EU. The Statement can be viewed on the GOV.UK website.
Adopting an Irish model of Income Tax relief in the UK could boost farmland lettings and increase agricultural productivity by over £100m. According to a review of data from the Irish Revenue by the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), the area of let land in Ireland rose to cover 7% of farmland in 2017, compared to just 2% in 2011. This followed an increase in Income Tax relief introduced in 2015 on farmland let for more than five years, explains Jeremy Moody, secretary and...
The Government has announced proposals to introduce a ban on long journeys of live animals being transported for slaughter and to create a new forest in Northumberland. There is due to be a public consultation on minimising live animal journeys "in due course", following recommendations made by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (renamed the Animal Welfare Committee with effect from 1st October 2019). The new Great Northumberland Forest should see the creation of three new forests in...
Scottish Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2019 loan payments should begin to arrive in bank accounts from 4th October 2019, as confirmed in this Scottish Government news release. These National Basic Payment Support Scheme payments should be for 95% of the estimated BPS 2019 and greening payment value and will be issued to over 13,450 Scottish BPS claimants. Loan offer letters should have been received during September and it is still possible to accept a loan scheme offer. Further information is...
A major independent review commissioned by DEFRA and led by Julian Glover has called for radical shakeup of the running of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England. Further information is available on the GOV.UK website. DEFRA will now consider the recommendations made in the review....
Farmers in parts of North Yorkshire and Wainfleet, Lincolnshire affected by flooding over the summer can now apply to the Farming Recovery Fund for grants of between £500 and £25,000 for a range of farm restoration work, including rebuilding dry stone walls, re-cultivating productive land and replacing damaged gates. Further details on how to apply are available on the GOV.UK website....
The National Trust, the Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB have said that at least £2.9 billion per year is needed to support nature-friendly farming in the UK post-Brexit; just under the current CAP UK budget of £3.2 billion. The charities said: "For decades, farmers have struggled within the CAP’s food and farming system that delivers little profit for their produce and few incentives to deliver positive outcomes for the environment. Once we leave the EU and these payments stop, alternative...
The Government is arranging Brexit Business Readiness Events across the UK to help you prepare, starting Monday 16 September. Join us at a free event in your area to meet government advisers and to find out what actions your business needs to take to prepare. The events will combine a keynote address, interactive support, advice stands and in-depth sessions led by subject matter experts. They will provide you with specific business-focused advice and help. Register to attend an event at:...
Following recommendations made in an independent review led by Lord Bew which was looking at what factors should be used to determine the distribution of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 'convergence' funding, the Government has confirmed it will allocate £56.59m of new funding. This should address concerns around the formula used to distribute this 'convergence' funding across the UK so that it rewards land that previously received less CAP funding per hectare than the EU average. The...