News, information and updates

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 […]

Whilst the main Countryside Stewardship Scheme will not begin until 1st January 2016, some more targeted grants are currently in the process of being released. Applications are now invited for the following: Woodland Capital Grants – Application Window: NOW until 30th June Applications are currently invited for: Woodland Creation Woodland Management Plans (in preparation for other […]

Following further updates  the online system for BPS registrations is back up and running. The RPA are drip feeding invitations out to farmers through agents, the NFU, the TFA and the CLA to prevent over subscription and the system crashing (in a similar fashion to the tax disc launch!). All farmers wishing to claim single farm […]

Over the last couple of years you will have seen headlines in the press saying that farmland is a better investment than gold. Returns on land have been excellent, with prices rising by a further 12% last year, as outlined by the RICS Farmland Market Survey. Questions are being asked about how long it can be […]

The beginning of the year is typically the time when farmers take stock of their finances – often in readiness for the annual bank manager review. Given the generally poor outlook for farm-gate prices especially in sectors such as potatoes and dairy, the task this year may not be one to be relished. However, finding […]

Tewkesbury Borough Council unveils its Planning Blueprint for 2011 -2031 Tewkesbury Borough Council has published its draft development plan which sets out where hundreds of homes could be built in the villages surrounding the town. The Tewkesbury Borough Plan puts the meat on the bones of the development blueprint called the Joint Core Strategy which […]

With the 25th March now less than 2 months away it is worth thinking about whether to serve a notice to review your farm rent. Likewise some landlords served notices in March 2014 hoping for rent increases, so with these rents needing to be agreed by the 25th March action should be taken now. Agricultural […]

This blog introduces the main criteria to consider when borrowing against a farm and helps you understand want lenders are looking for and how to put stronger loan applications together. This should help ensure that proposals stand out and have a better chance of being approved. There are 2 key elements: Security The more simple part is […]