Carver Knowles in the Press…

Carver Knowles were delighted to be asked to contribute to the NFU’s Farmer and Grower magazine this month in their feature about Energy and Storage. This came hot on the heals of recently being asked to comment in the Farmers Weekly on the difficulties being experienced by those in the new Countryside Stewardship. In the Farmer and […]

Posted on February 2nd, 2017 by

New Year New Grant Funding Opportunities

Countryside Stewardship

With a portfolio of grant schemes opening for 2017 Alyssia Thomas takes a look at those that are available and how to get hold of the funding. Brexit may mean a permanent or temporary end to this type of funding so if you are considering entering a scheme or investing in farm improvements its important […]

Posted on January 30th, 2017 by

Pershore and Upton upon Severn NFU Conference 2017

Brand power

Pershore and Upton branch of the NFU have once again held a very successful conference, this year titled ‘The Power of Branding’. The panellists were: Helen Browning OBE founder of Helen Browning’s Organic, Martin Thatcher of Thatcher’s Cider and Vice Chairman of the Assured Food Standards, Andrew Blenkiron.   The evening started with an opening […]

Posted on January 20th, 2017 by

I WANT TO SELL SOME OF MY PROPERTY – WHAT SHOULD I DO?

The New Year is here and Spring is just around the corner (hopefully?!). Spring is often the best time to look at selling property whether it is bare land, a development opportunity or a residential property as it often looks its best due to the improving weather and the budding fauna and flora. So if […]

Posted on January 9th, 2017 by

Community Infrastructure Levy – what is it and how does it apply?

The Community Infrastructure Levy, otherwise known as CIL, was introduced by the Planning Act 2008 as a charge on development. The levy provides financial assistance to Local Planning Authorities in England and Wales when delivering infrastructure and development within their areas. The CIL subsequently came into force in 2010 through the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations […]

Posted on January 6th, 2017 by

How to…. Start a farm succession plan

Farm succession

Land Agent’s, solicitors and accountants are all guilty of highlighting the importance of succession planning by regaling horror stories and anecdotes of what can happen if it all goes wrong. Less frequently do we outline the starting points for a successful succession plan and the documents that are useful and the key areas that need […]

Posted on January 6th, 2017 by

Why am I paying Business Rates on my stables?

Business rates as they are commonly referred to are actually called Non-Domestic Rates and can therefore apply to property classed as non-domestic whether it is used privately or as part of a business. Non-domestic rates are assessed on the properties annual rental value (rateable value) multiplied by the nationally set multiplier (unless the small business […]

Posted on December 22nd, 2016 by

Finance for Farm Diversification – and how to get it!

How to get finance for a diversification project. The main issue with financing a farm diversification project is that it often falls outside what traditional lenders are comfortable with.   This is typically because it’s a new venture and the lender is worried about it not working out.  Statistically only half of business start-ups make it […]

Posted on December 14th, 2016 by

Inspection Alert: Most common reasons for BPS penalties

Cross compliance rules need to be followed all year round and with Inspectors able to arrive at farms unannounced farmers need to be prepared to ensure they are not risking their Basic Payment. When it comes to farm inspections one of the most important points is to never refuse access. Preventing an Inspector from carrying […]

Posted on November 16th, 2016 by

What do I do if a mobile phone mast operator wants to rent a site on my land?

As mobile phones become smarter and more critical to our daily lives, the demand on mobile phone masts to deliver phone calls and data has significantly increased in recent years. Added to this is the recent announcement of the Government policy to tackle mobile phone “not-spots” and also the roll out of the 4G and […]

Posted on November 8th, 2016 by