Therefore, the earliest a new transitional system will come into place in Wales will be 2022.

The consultation brought out last year set out the governments vision of how they see agricultural support in Wales after Brexit.

The main proposals were:

• A single, integrated scheme focused on environmental outcomes, agricultural business productivity and resilience called the “Sustainable Farming Scheme”.
• The majority of the financial support will be for environmental outcomes but with elements of business support as well.
• It will provide an annual income to reward farmers for delivering targeted outcomes

To initially enter the scheme, it is proposed that farmers must first submit an EoI (Expression of Interest), complete a Farm Sustainability Review and also produce a Farm Sustainability Plan. These steps would include submitting items such as a business plan, welfare plan, nutrient plan, farm details and size, staff etc.

The financial payment will be based on mandatory actions and also optional actions as a ‘top-up’. The consultation does not, however, give any indication of payment rates only that the Welsh Government will pay “above and beyond income foregone or costs incurred”.

There are still lots of unknowns with a new scheme in Wales however we will be informing our clients who own and occupy land in Wales as soon as this becomes available.

Our BPS and Support Payments team are well versed in Welsh and English policy changes and can be contacted on 01829 773000.

The post What is happening in Wales – Policy for agriculture appeared first on Rostons.

The recent case heard in the Scottish Lands Tribunal of CTIL V Thomas Steuart Fothringham for interim code rights under Para 26 of the new code commented that the new code will lead to a reduction in rents, however, the nominal sums offered, £252.70 per annum in this case, was not reasonable either.

The tribunal fixed the consideration at £2,500 per annum and while only for an application for interim code rights, it is one of the few cases so far where the tribunal has provided actual figures for considerable amounts.

We are seeing a lot of inquiries about lease renewals for telecoms masts at the moment, if you would like more information, please call Jonathan at the office 01829 773000.

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We are also undertaking Farm Dispersal Sales in Cheshire and the surrounding area with 3 held so far this year and 2 more booked in for this spring. When combined with our property expertise we can offer a one stop service to our clients and are seeing an increase in instructions for two of our Registered Valuers to go on site, valuing the farm, land, livestock and deadstock in one go. This has worked very well, saving time and money for our clients and a streamlined process for Solicitors and Accountants.

The post Probate/Divorces Valuations appeared first on Rostons.

These buildings can be very straightforward to apply for and landowners and/or occupiers can expect a decision with 28 days from validation.

We believe this increase is since these buildings can be erected every two years and the area permitted has increased from 465m2 to 1000m2, however, there is no guarantee of how long this permitted area will be available for.

Agricultural buildings over 1000m2 would normally require full planning permission, whereby applications must meet national and local planning policy; and a clear understanding of agriculture is required.

Our planning team at Rostons have seen some excellent success stories recently. Tom, George or Holly are happy to help!

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In this instance, the Countryside Stewardship (CSS) may be the answer. This would be a five-year agreement, using a broad range of options, with funding packages available to suit most people.

Big winners include grant funding if farmers are in a catchment sensitive farming area, low input options, and arable options – there is something for most applicants and certainly something to consider to bridge the funding gap.

Deadlines to apply for CSS is 31^st May for an application pack and then 31^st July to submit the application.

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Brexit has allowed the UK to take stock and plan which is similar, we are told, to the situation after the second world war.
Future farming policy will concentrate on productivity, public goods and a structural change to the industry.

So what does that mean?

Future Policy is about productivity, less focused on payment.

2020 Agriculture Bill – is the new and improved bill from the 2018 one which was put on hold with the general election, etc. It provides continuity of powers for changing support, public money for public goods, environmental gains, soil flooding, animal welfare, and biodiversity and the new ELMS scheme.

• Security now also gets a mention with wide-ranging powers to require collection and sharing of data in agri-food supply chain and for fair dealing for farmers in the supply chain.
• Financial assistance is also provided within the act with public money for public goods starting or improving the productivity of an agricultural, horticultural or forestry activity and supporting ancillary activities carried on by all four producers.

There are chapters on flooding, soil quality, and ancillary activities to production which could lead to things such as marketing.

On BPS we have a 7 year transition period from 2021 – 2028 and at the end of that period, BPS is gone.

Productivity, ELMS, animal welfare, plant health payments are to be brought in during the transition period.

A set of measures with Tenancies has also been included, which will widen the powers of an appointment of an Arbitrator, to include not only the RICS but the CAAV and the ALA and with successions, commercial units have to be repealed, the suitability test to be revised and retirement cases can go to the Tribunal before the age of 65.

More issues are likely to arise from the Environmental Bill which provides further polices. This coupled with the 25-year environment plan is going to impose substantial restrictions on farmers.

There are long term targets for air quality, water, biodiversity and resource efficiency in waste reduction.

In summary, we are likely to see 10 years of change that could lead to substantial alteration to the current structure on land ownership, occupation and farming systems.

The post Brexit, the Agriculture Bill and Environmental Bill appeared first on Rostons.

Whole farms and smallholdings appear to still be in high demand with prices continuing to soar. Smaller, amenity or equine plots are also retaining their value and a fruitful demand. It is felt that where the land is ‘agricultural’ and of an acreage which would appeal to an investor or farming purchasers there remains some caution in the market. That being said, we have secured a number of sales in the early part of 2020 and continue to work with other professionals to achieve completion on sales in a timely manner.

Looking further into 2020 we have a range of properties and land across Cheshire and surrounding counties due to come to the market throughout the year and we aim to maximise sale prices and achieve completion in a timely manner in line with our client’s individual objectives.

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An Evening with Will Evans of the Rock n Roll Farming Podcast

Reserve your seat: 

It’s time for farmers to “take back January” – Join us at Byley Village Hall at 7:15 pm on 15th January 2020 to listen to Will Evans as he provides insight into how he uses his podcast to promote Agriculture – What better time to learn how farmers can positively educate the country into agricultural practices.

About Will

Frustrated with how farmers were being portrayed in the media, Welsh farmer Will started a podcast to interview farmers in a bid to dispel some of the myths surrounding agriculture and food production. Will now has over 15,000 thousand followers on twitter and 1,000 downloads to his podcast each week. He has also been recognised for championing British Farming. This is a fantastic opportunity to hear how we can utilise social media to spread a positive message about agriculture.

A Fantastic Opportunity

Our Future Farmers events do not just set out to offer expert advice and guidance, but it’s also a great opportunity to catch up with those likeminded individuals who you never quite get the chance to go to the pub with!

Reserve Your Seat

This is a FREE event, and food will be served afterward. However, we do ask that you please .

Follow this link to book: 

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Sarah has a strong agricultural background, having grown up on a mixed farm in Cheshire. In her spare time she enjoys riding and playing hockey. Her enthusiasm coupled with her rural background and knowledge will no doubt be a welcome addition to the existing team.

Sarah is looking forward to developing her skills as a trainee surveyor and working within the North West and North Wales.

The post Sarah Heath starts at Rostons appeared first on Rostons.

Previously, a maximum of 3 residential properties could be converted from agricultural use, with a maximum floorspace of 450 square meters in total.

However, the new changes will permit the following:

• Up to 3 ‘larger homes’ with a maximum floorspace of 465metres square.
• Up to 5 ‘smaller homes’ each with less than 100 square metres of floor space.
• A combination of the above, with no more than 5 homes, of which a maximum of 3 can be “larger homes”

Additionally, changes to Government guidance for Class Q permitted development rights confirmed that it is no longer a specific requirement for the building to be structurally strong enough to support the necessary conversion works. Which suggests that reasonable structural reinforcement works would be acceptable as part of the conversion. Also, internal works do not constitute development and so local planning authorities may not be able to refuse an application based on the extent of the internal works. However, there is still no firm definition of when ‘conversion’ becomes a ‘rebuild’ and so professional advice should be sought to identify the chances of success for each case.

Agricultural business:- There has been an increase in the size of new agricultural buildings allowed under permitted development rights for holdings over 5ha in size. Previously permitted development rights allowed the construction of a new agricultural building up to 465 square meters, this has now increased to 1,000 square meters.

If you require advice relating to this please contact the Rostons team.

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