News, information and updates

Funding is available for items that support tree and hedgerow planting, boundary restoration, natural flood management and improvements to air and water quality. The 2026 offer retains the same spending limits as 2025:   Group Funding Limit Item Water Quality £25,000 Fencing and livestock troughs Air Quality £25,000 Automatic slurry scraper Natural Flood Management £25,000 […]

The Rural Payments Agency have emailed some members to indicate that they may be eligible for Window 1 which is the June 2026 application opening for the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) grant funding. This window is exclusively for 2 groups; small farms and farms without an existing Environmental Land Management (ELM) revenue agreement. Check […]

We recently secured the removal of an agricultural occupancy condition (AOC) from a rural property that had been in the same family for several generations. The property had originally formed part of a wider farming operation but was retained when the farmhouse and agricultural land were sold many years ago. Although no longer connected to […]

We are pleased to have successfully secured a Certificate of Lawfulness for an established equestrian business. The application under Section 191 confirmed the lawful use of the land and buildings for commercial equestrian purposes, including livery and associated equestrian activities. We prepared a comprehensive report accompanied by detailed evidence and supporting statement to demonstrate that […]

We are proud to announce that Hettie Orttewell has successfully completed her RICS APC and has now qualified as a Rural Chartered Surveyor! A fantastic achievement, reflecting significant hard work and dedication. This marks a valuable addition to the strength of the team.

The new Local Plan will set out the location of future development for the District. As part of this process, the Council looks to identify as many sites as possible. This assessment provides an important source of evidence with the aim of gaining a clear understanding of land available. Forest of Dean District Council are […]

DEFRA has announced that the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will reopen later this year with two application windows. June 2026 will be the first application window and will prioritise smaller farms and those not currently in an Environmental Land Management (ELM) agreements. September 2026 will be the second application window opening the scheme more widely […]

The government has announced today (Tuesday 23rd December) that the threshold for Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) will increase from £1 million to £2.5 million from April 2026. This change means that spouses or civil partners will be able to pass on up to £5 million of qualifying agricultural or business […]

  The team at Carver Knowles would like to wish all of our clients and colleagues a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our offices are closed from Wednesday 24th December and reopening on Friday 2nd January.    

Property disputes often involve complex valuation issues, boundary disagreements or landlord and tenant matters. In these situations, the insight of a RICS-regulated expert witness can be decisive. Carver Knowles has a diverse range of specialisms that enable us to act as expert witnesses for disputes where parties find themselves engaging in court proceedings. Our role […]