What's New

DEFRA is today unveiling a substantial part of its developing suite of Environmental Land Management schemes, setting out what will be offered for 2023 and 2024. This note provides more detail.

Please find attached an updated version of the CAAV Model Grazing and Mowing Licence for England 2023 and accompanying guidance notes.

With further volatility in material and labour costs, this note provides guidance and supplements the CAAV Rebuilding Costs Schedule 2018 (superseding the earlier notes of 23rd January 2022 and 14th August 2022).

On 23rd January, DEFRA authorised a derogation for the use of neonicotinoids for seed treatment of sugar beet. This note contains more detail.

DEFRA has opened the Disruptive Challenges Survey. See this note for more detail. This Survey is open until 31st January 2023. Please click here to see and start the Survey which is intended to take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Danone has announced an action plan to reduce absolute methane emissions from its fresh-milk supply chain by 30 per cent by 2030. This note summarises the action plan.

This note contains some of the common issues that the RPA have identified with the final evidence forms for the BPS Lump Sum Exit Scheme.

This note revies the recent report by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) on the Government's progress in the past year toward the Environmental Targets of the 25 Year Environment Plan.

The Scottish Government has today set out to Parliament its proposals for the controls over residential tenancies under the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 after 31st March 2023 until 30th September 2023. This note contains more detail.

The RPA has now supplied clarification regarding the withdrawal and re-submission of Countryside Stewardship capital grant applications where approval from a Natural England Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer approval is required. This note has the detail.

This note provides an overview of the current legislative framework for conservation covenants in England.

Earlier this year, DEFRA announced increases in the payment rates for capital options within Countryside Stewardship. Those new rates were to apply to applications made from 5th January 2023. This raised a shoal of issues and concerns for people with prior applications and agreements but outstanding capital works. These were reviewed in the CAAV e-Briefing leader of 12th January and the Blog of 13th January. DEFRA has today announced a series of changes and clarifications, with further issues...

On 30th January, DEFRA opens the third round of the Research Starter competition for farmers, growers and foresters in England. This note provides a summary of the scheme.

Clause 5.2(c) of the CAAV Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) model clauses for two years or less, or for longer periods obliges the tenant to occupy the farmhouse as his usual place of residence. Several aspects of the statutory requirements for let residential property encompass FBTs. This note sets out the main requirements and complements CAAV numbered publication 245: The Letting and Management of Residential Property in England the CAAV residential lettings web page. As always, regulations are...

Since its implementation on 1st December 2022, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 presents a new practical issue as to what are the terms when a periodic tenancy follows on the expiry of a fixed term agreement. This note outlines the position and provides draft clause which may be considered for use by incorporation into a fixed term occupation contract if deemed appropriate to the circumstances....

This note is to assist members with the often contentious issue of claimant's time in relation to compulsory purchase, outlining whether it can be a valid head of claim and the general principles that need consideration.

Chris Skidmore, former energy minister, was invited Jacob Rees-Mogg, when Business Secretary under Liz Truss as Prime Minister, to conduct a swift review of the business and other issues in meeting the net zero emissions target by 2050. He has now issued his 340 page report, Mission Zero, with 129 recommendations to Government. This note provides and initial review of the report....

This note sets out the Capital Works available under the Small Grants - Environment (Hedgerow Creation) Scheme announced by the Welsh Government. The scheme closes on 17th February 2023.

The Treasury has announced a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme to be established under the Energy Prices Act 2022 for non-domestic users including businesses, charities and the public sector that will apply for the twelve months from 1st April when the present scheme ends. This note contains more information.

Users of Plant Protection Products (PPPs) are reminded in this note to register basic information about their activity with DEFRA under The Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2020.

Openreach set standard payment rates for a variety of apparatus; the latest rates, as of January 2023, are below. The CAAV periodically meet with Openreach and we anticipate further guidance being available to members in due course.

This note provides a summary of the recently issued consultation announced by DLUHC on revisions to the NPPF of July 2021.

European Valuer is the quarterly journal of The European Group of Valuers’ Associations (TEGoVA). TEGoVA brings together 70 valuers’ associations, including the CAAV, from 37 countries, both in and outside the EU with observer members from the USA, Canada and elsewhere. European Valuer contains updates on the work of the Group, as well as topical editorial commentary. Edition No. 28 includes articles on: 'The Dawn of an Uncertain Era – The Era of Risk?''Valuing War Damage in...

The Environment Act 2021 provides for increased penalties under the Forestry Act 1967 for illegal tree felling. These have now taken effect for England from 1st January 2023 under the Environment Act 2021 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2022 No. 1266. The Regulations apply the Act’s Schedule 16, amending Part 2 of the Forestry Act 1967. This note provides further information....

England’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (LURB), following on from the February 2022 White Paper, has completed its Commons stages and is now in the House of Lords with a significant number of Government amendments, that have taken it from 338 pages to 408 pages. More Government amendments are expected. The portmanteau Bill covers subjects from English devolution with “Combined County Authorities” to the power to review RICS governance and pavement licences but much of it concerns...

The Welsh Government has published 'Understanding the possession action process: A guide for private landlords in Wales', summarising Court processes and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. The CAAV has published its comprehensive text, which has been sent to Welsh members and is also available for non-members to purchase here....

For converted standard periodic contracts (those which were periodic ASTs before 1st December 2022), the period of notice for the no fault s.173 ground has been amended. A s.173 notice served between 1st December 2022 and 31st May 2023, the minimum period of notice has remains 2 months. For notices served on or after 1st June 2023, the minimum period of notice has been increased to 6 months, aligning converted periodic contracts with most other periodic occupation contracts....

DEFRA has published its guidance on cross compliance in England for 2023, the last year when cross compliance will apply in England. This note provides a summary.

This note provides an overview of the Biodiversity COP-15 Kunming-Montreal Agreement.

This note contains a preview of the provisions of BPS in 2023.

These Regulations increase the application fee for the appointment of an arbitrator under the 1986 Act, as summarised in CAAV Note of 20th December 2022.

Parliament and the Welsh Senedd have now approved the Agricultural Holdings (Fee) Regulations 2022 No. 1356 which increase the statutory fee for an application for the appointment under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 of an arbitrator. This note provides more information.

The Government has now confirmed the deferral of the date from which it is to be mandatory to use software for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax Self Assessment (ITSA), so that it would start from 2026, later for those with lower profits.. This note provides more information.

Local land managers are being encouraged to submit applications to Severn Trent’s Environmental Protection Scheme (STEPS) before the application window closes on 31st January 2023. This note has some more detail.

DEFRA has confirmed that 45,000 visas for seasonal workers will be available next year. This note provides some more detail.

The Government has today (16th December), in a written statement laid in the House of Lords, set out the statutory Environmental Targets required under s. 1 of the Environment Act 2021. This note provides more detail.

These Regulations amend Regulation 2 of The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021 to change the implementation date for regulations 4 and 36 of the 2021 Regulations from 1th January 2023 to 30th April 2023 for holdings or parts of holdings not previously situated within a nitrate vulnerable zone (“NVZ”).