Syllabus

For The Examinations Held After 1st July 2019

Candidates are expected to have a working knowledge of all matters relevant to the valuation of and related professional work with rural property and business, rights and obligations, assets, livestock, deadstock and other goods with the relevant statutes and case law, for the country within the United Kingdom in which they predominantly practice, including but not restricted to the following:

1. Farming and Land Management

(a) Agricultural practice, including farming systems and methods, farming enterprises with their economics and practicality, and the use of technology

(b) Public policies for agriculture, rural land management, resources such as soil and water, and other issues including animal health and welfare with available payments and agreements

(d) Preparation, use and analysis of budgets, cash flows, management accounts, financial accounts and balance sheets

(e) Agricultural buildings and their construction with regulations and costs

2. Rural Property Law, Agricultural Business Structures and Agreements

(a) Business planning and structures for rural landowners and farmers including sole trading, partnerships and companies

(b) Rural property law, particularly agricultural landlord and tenant matters, including the law and valuations relevant to the commencement, the operation and the termination of tenancies including rent, tenant’s fixtures and improvements, dilapidations, other rights, claims and obligations of landlords and tenants

(c) Other forms of agreement between landowners and farmers, including contract farming agreements, joint ventures, share farming, licences, profits

(d) The drafting and interpretation of agreements

(e) Use of these structures and agreements with business and family change

3. Taxation for Rural Property and Business

The framework of, valuations for and relevant impact of

(a) Income Tax and Corporation Tax

(b) Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax

(d) Value Added Tax

(e) Business rates

(f) Other national, devolved and local taxation

together with the relevant reliefs and exemptions

4. Statutory Regimes for Rights to and over Land

(a) Restrictive covenants, easements (servitudes in Scotland) and other rights in or over property

(b) The law and practice of compulsory purchase and compensation as applied to agricultural and other rural property and businesses

(d) Telecommunication masts, cables and apparatus with the Electronic Communications Code

(e) Other rights of acquisition under statute, including Community Right to Buy (Scotland) and Assets of Community Value (England).

5. Non-Agricultural Uses of Rural Property and Development Control

(a) Rural planning and development control policies and practice

(b) Financial and practical issues for diversification into non-agricultural uses

(d) Forestry and woodlands

(e) Sporting, leisure and tourism

(f) Re-use and conversion of rural buildings with an appreciation of practicality, cost, viability and procedures

(g) Residential and other development in the countryside

(h) Minerals

(i) Agreements for development including options and promotion

(j) Development charges under planning agreements (s.106 in England and Wales, s.75 in Scotland, s.76 in Northern Ireland), for affordable housing (with viability assessments), under statutory levies (such as the Community Infrastructure Levy) and otherwise

6. Letting of Residential Property

The letting and management of rural residential property with the law, professional practice and valuations relevant to the commencement, the operation and the termination of tenancies including the rights, claims and obligations of landlords and tenants

7. Letting of Commercial Property

The letting and management of rural commercial property with the law, professional practice and valuations relevant to the commencement, the operation and the termination of tenancies including the rights, claims and obligations of landlords and tenants

8. Environmental and Resource Matters

(a) An understanding of environmental issues for rural land management, including those relating to soil, water, bio-diversity and the mitigation of climate change

(b) Relevant law, policy and practice on the environment, resource protection and pollution control

(d) Land management for environmental and conservation purposes

(e) Environmental schemes, grants, payments, subsidies and agreements

(f) Energy policy, legislation and practice for rural property

9. Appraisal, Valuation, Transactions and Marketing of Rural Property, Livestock, Deadstock and Consumables

(a) The inspection and appraisal of farms, estates and other rural property

(b) Freehold, leasehold and rental valuations of agricultural and rural property for all purposes, whether in the market place or under statute, with an understanding of the law of real property, the practical application of economic principles, bases of value, methods of valuation, valuation assumptions, valuation standards, and the appraisal of both the subject property in its context and other relevant information

(c) The identification, appraisal and valuation of growing and harvested arable and forage crops, agricultural live and deadstock, produce, commodities, consumable stores, plant and machinery

(d) Marketing, selling and letting rural property

(e) The financing of rural property transactions and businesses, considerations for investment and other relevant matters

10. Dispute Resolution

(a) Dispute resolution, under statute and under contract, including arbitration, expert determination and mediation, planning appeals, Tribunals (including Property, Taxation and Employment), the Scottish Land Court and other forums for appeals

(b) The management of a client’s case, the preparation of evidence, the conduct of a hearing and the role of an expert witness

11. Professional Practice

(a) Inspection and appraisal with written and oral structured reporting and communication

(b) The law (including Acts, Statutory Instruments, regulations and case law) for and the operation of professional practice and business, including agency, property management and auctioneering

(d) Professional conduct, standards, ethics, regulation and Professional Indemnity Insurance

12. General Knowledge of the Countryside