News, information and updates

Approximately 76.5 acres (30.96 ha) of arable land in 7 field parcels situated off the A46 near Ashton Under Hill, Evesham TENANCY DETAILS The land is offered to let on a ten year Farm Business Tenancy commencing from 29th September 2015. Further details in regards to the proposed tenancy agreement can be found in the […]

Growth program for the rural economy providing grants to small rural businesses. What is the growth programme? In a nutshell, it provides funding to help projects in England which create jobs and help rural economy growth.  The grants are funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).  The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) manages […]

We are often asked what else could I do with my farm buildings, particularly in recent weeks when all agricultural sectors seem to be struggling with low prices and high input costs. Alternative income streams can provide a stable income to level out the undulations of farming activity and either give extra cash to invest […]

Andrew Troughton, Director of Carver Knowles considers how the Budget announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 8th July, may affect farmers and landowners. One of the main points revealed in the budget were the changes to Inheritance Tax.   The measures announced will introduce an additional nil-rate band when a residence is passed on […]

Carver Knowles success in removing “Agricultural ties” continues. Carver Knowles have successfully removed an Agricultural Occupancy Condition from a Worcestershire farmhouse, even though the property formed part of a working farm and was occupied by the farmer and his wife. The farmhouse formed part of a 160 acre mixed livestock and arable unit and Carver […]

The new Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) is about to be formally launched by Natural England (NE) with applications invited for the Mid and Higher Tiers between the 1st July and 30th September with agreements starting from 1st January 2016. The scheme boosts some 130 management options and 110 capital items to chose from many of which […]

It has been a year of uncertainty and frustration for farmers, planners and agents alike, as all tried to steer a course through the new Permitted Development Rights legislation that allowed the conversion of qualifying barns into dwellings. Written legislation was very brief and differed from consultation documents, making life difficult for developers and decision […]

Following the announcement that the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) will now be done using paper forms rather than the Rural Payments System and that the deadline is now the 15th June, we now have a different timeline of actions that need to be taken. We have summarised the key issues and when they need to be […]

Every property owner in the UK will require a valuation of their assets from time to time for a variety of reasons, not just when they are thinking about selling. Property valuations are a huge part of the work we undertake and form a major part of our training and qualifications, therefore it is always […]

The new £5m Countryside Productivity Scheme was launched on the 9th March 2015.   The scheme offers funding for up to 40% of the capital costs of a variety of equipment and applications must be for between £2,500 – £35,000 (Small Grant) or £35,000 – £100,000 (Large Grant) of grant funding depending on the equipment […]