News, information and updates


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

Farm Business Succession – where to start

This week we hosted a joint seminar with Clarke Willmott Solicitors, Hazelwood’s Accountants and NFU focusing on farm succession at Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park. The night was enjoyed by approximately 70 local farmers and landowners where they had the opportunity to discuss the detail of planning succession with a panel of experts. We heard […]

Posted on October 16th, 2015 by

Housing development on my land – what are the options?

As some Local Authorities start to get their houses in order with regard to their local plan policy we take a look at the opportunities that still exist for housing development. Allocated development If your property has been allocated for development in any of the emerging local strategies and plans, the chances are you already […]

Posted on October 12th, 2015 by

What is a Rural Chartered Surveyor?

Image used for Rural Chartered Surveyor blog

What is a Rural Chartered Surveyor? Rural Surveyors (or Land Agents) offer professional advice working alongside professional advisers such as accountants and solicitors.   They provide advice on Agriculture, Farm Diversification, Finance, Planning Consultancy, Strategic Development,  Property Agency, Compulsory Purchase, Taxation and Renewable Energy Projects. Becoming a Rural Practice Chartered Surveyor brings with it a […]

Posted on September 30th, 2015 by

What do I need to do to comply with the Greening rules of the BPS in 2016?

Mike Cluley from Carver Knowles in Worcestershire helps us to understand. The Greening rules are a compulsory requirement of the Basic Payment Scheme. They contribute to approximately 30% of the value of their total BPS claim value. If a farmer does not comply with the rules they will lose some or all of their “greening” […]

Posted on September 22nd, 2015 by

Enforcement action and how to avoid it.

When is development immune from enforcement action?  You may remember the case of the farmer who wrapped his house in straw bales. In 2001 Robert Fidler built a new house on greenbelt land in Surrey and hid it behind straw bales www.telegraph.co.uk. In 2006 he removed the straw bales to reveal the house that he had […]

Posted on September 14th, 2015 by

How to use your SSAS pension to take control of your existing pension pot, save tax and buy land

In this blog Andrew Troughton of Carver Knowles, Chartered Surveyors and Land Agents in Worcestershire explains all: Disclaimer 1 – This article is not about Pension Auto Enrollment, but looks at how farmers can use SSAS Pensions (Small Self-Administered pension Schemes) to take control of, and better use their pensions. Disclaimer 2 – We are Land […]

Posted on September 11th, 2015 by

Is rural development going to thrive with the new plan?

One of many promises made by the Conservatives during the run up to the election was to encourage rural development in order to develop the rural economy. Last week George Osbourne and Liz Truss indicated they were delivering their promise in an article in the Telegraph.They have now issued their 10 point plan so Julie Branfield, […]

Posted on August 21st, 2015 by

Do the changes to the new Model Clauses affect you?

The New Model Clauses for England come into force on 1st October 2015 which alter the liability for the maintenance, repair, replacement and insurance of fixed equipment between landlord and tenant where tenancies are governed by the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986. The Model Clauses apply to all agricultural tenancies governed by the AHA, save for […]

Posted on August 17th, 2015 by

Countryside Stewardship Scheme – The Devil is in the Detail

Following on from the launch of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) last month we are now able to see how the application process works in terms of physical paperwork and also get to grips with some of the lesser known compulsory scheme requirements. On the face of it, the Mid-Tier application paperwork is very similar […]

Posted on August 13th, 2015 by