Brexit:  Where do the opportunities lie?

British resilience

For or against, most people have a view on Brexit and whether it’s going to be good bad or just ugly. There are some key areas farmers and rural business owners need to consider over the next 12-18 months to make sure their business is well placed and as strong as possible as we enter […]

Posted on May 16th, 2017 by

Welsh Farm Business Grant Now Available

The Welsh Government and Rural Development Programme has allocated £40m to a new Welsh Farm Business Grant. This is designed to help farmers reduce their carbon emissions, improve their resilience and competitiveness. £3,000 – £12,000 is available per farm business at a 40% grant rate over a four-year period. The first application period is to […]

Posted on April 6th, 2017 by

Can I prevent a new footpath being created?

A footpath or other Right of Way can be created as the general public see land as a free for all and take it upon themselves to wander as they wish. Landowners should forward think to prevent rights of way from being created without their permission. If the route of a permissive path is used […]

Posted on March 17th, 2017 by

Countryside Stewardship Now Open

    The 2017 Countryside Stewardship application window for Mid-Tier and Higher Tier are now open.   Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship offers 5 year agreements for environmental improvements in the wider countryside, such as reducing diffuse water pollution or improving the environment for birds, pollinators and farm wildlife.  Mid-Tier application packs must be requested no later than 31st […]

Posted on March 13th, 2017 by

How do I register my agricultural waste exemption?

A brand new digital service has replaced the paper and e-form options for registering an agricultural waste exemption.  Registration needs to be completed by October 2016.  The Environment Agency is encouraging farmers and other business to go online and register.  The new service has been designed to make online registration quicker and more efficient than ever before. […]

Posted on August 30th, 2016 by

Should I request a rent review for my on farm telecom mast?

telecom rent review

With poor returns affecting all agricultural sectors, farmers are looking to see if more money can be made from land let to telecom providers by requesting a rent review. Ryan Warman from Carver Knowles explains the different rent review mechanisms that are available and whether farmers should request a review or remain silent. Rent reviews […]

Posted on February 25th, 2016 by

Can a new right of way over my land be prevented?

Landowners and farmers can see permissive paths turning into public rights way where there has been uninterrupted use on that route for at least 20 years. Rest assured that farmers and landowners can protect their land against claims if they can show that they did not intend such rights to be acquired. This can include […]

Posted on December 21st, 2015 by

GRANT UPDATE – LAUNCH OF THE LEADER PROGRAMME

In the past few days the LEADER programme has been launched by a number of Local Action Groups (LAGs). The LAGs broadly cover the same areas as the local councils and in our area the LEADER programme has been launched by:   Worcestershire (Wychavon, Malvern Hills etc) (£1.96m available) Forest of Dean and Tewkesbury (£1.447m […]

Posted on December 4th, 2015 by

News from the Renewables industry and what is a Battery Storage Barn?

As Land Agents involved in many farm businesses in the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire area, we are frequently asked about diversification and alternative income opportunities and also the opportunities for renewable technology on farm. The answer is that there are a number of changes afoot in the funding of the renewables industry and options going forward. […]

Posted on October 22nd, 2015 by

How to promote development land in the Forest of Dean District

The Forest of Dean District Council has to ensure they maintain enough land to provide a 5 year housing supply. To achieve this they annually undertake a call for new sites through their SHLAA (Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment). In this article Andrew Troughton explains how the council promote development land in the Forest of […]

Posted on October 19th, 2015 by