News, information and updates

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. […]

Last month we looked at the time limits for Enforcement Action. This time Julie Branfield looks in more detail at those time limits and specifically how they relate to planning conditions and in particular Agricultural Occupancy Conditions. What we discovered last time was that there are time limits for council taking enforcement action against breaches of […]

Hot off the press, this is our Landmark newsletter for Autumn 2015. This issue features articles about agricultural tie removal, permitted development, Agricultural Mortgage Company (AMC) loans, local planning successes and grant updates. View the newsletter online here or download it to your machine using this link.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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” […]

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 […]

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 […]