Tomorrow’s Business was the theme of the CAAV’s first ever Virtual National Conference. In this episode, Jeremy Moody shares the highlights from the conference and summarises the key points from each of the speakers. Also available on Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Catch-up on previous episodes here....
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 3rd September 2020. Most of farming faces the same economic problems as it faced before the pandemic. The poor harvest emphasises the concerns about poor cash flow as farming goes into 2021, facing whatever may come as the EU transition period ends. That draws attention to the long run issues of poor profitability and productivity growth that might now be...
With the long, fraught arguments over telecommunications masts, the last fortnight has doubled the number of Tribunal decisions on valuation, developing a picture of what Tribunals consider to be the main arguments. CTIL v Fothringham (in the Lands Tribunal for Scotland) follows EE v Islington in considering the rent for a new Code agreement. Vodafone v Hanover considers the rent on the renewal of a lease protected by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (CTIL v Ashloch having decided that such...
The Government has extended the temporary ban on evictions from dwellings in England, which was due to end this Sunday, by a further four weeks and introduced a new requirement for notices to be at least 6 months in duration. Further detail is available on the GOV.UK website.
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 20th August 2020. Algorithm – a set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operation. While as simple as that, a word more used in computing than the pub has been thrust into daylight by the attempt to give examination grades without holding examinations. An algorithm is simply a tool, depending on how data are selected and assumptions about how they are handled. It can only be as good as those...
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 13th August 2020. The proposals in the two planning consultation papers issued last week for England appear to be a genuinely radical shock for the system. They go much further than the zoning proposals of the headlines, shaking the 70 year old foundations of planning and what local planning authorities do. Focussed on housing, rather than other development, the force of the proposals lies in their approach to housing...
The Government has published its planning White Paper: Planning for the Future. A public consultation runs until 29th October 2020.
The Government has released details of hundreds of projects which will be supported by the £900 million Getting Building Fund in England, including housing development, regeneration schemes, education and healthcare projects. The projects will be delivered through LEPs and details can be found on the GOV.UK website....
Alice De Soer is leaving the Secretariat at the end of Friday, 31st July. We thank her for her work in that capacity over the years, for which she was recognised by the award of the CAAV’s Kenneth Glenny Prize in 2015, and wish her well for the future. Calls and e-mails regarding her work areas should come to the Secretariat at Harts Barn Farmhouse. Consideration is being given to the skills and dispositions that might now be needed in the Secretariat....
Jeremy's Blog 30th July 2020 The New Agricultural Policy in England is Coming This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 30/7/20 The reality of the new English agricultural policy, outside the EU, is imminent. Ministers are adamant that the first cut in Basic Payment will start the transition period in 2021, seeing new policies phased in. With more detail promised in an autumn statement, that seven year process was again outlined in the Government’s replies to...
Part One of the National Food Strategy has been published and can be found at https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/.
Jeremy's Blog 23/07/2020 Environmental Policy This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 23rd July 2020 George Eustice, DEFRA Secretary of State, has consistently argued that the opportunity of Brexit is to “do policy better”. As developing post-Brexit policies and the emerging post-Covid policies blend, he has now set this argument out for environmental policy. Those concerned with the management of rural land should see the scale of the ambition for such...
Jeremy's Blog 16/07/2020 Economics and Taxation This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 16th July 2020. We have this year seen parts of the modern economy unravel, enormous injections of public money to support continuity, the acceleration of business change and the possibility of working with virus restrictions for some time to come. The response to that has been to focus on re-growing the economy and unlocking productivity improvement in the wider economy....
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 9th July 2020. Much of members’ work is about advising and negotiating for parties to achieve an agreement. Sometimes it needs a third party to help them or to decide the matter. That is dispute resolution. That help may come from early neutral evaluation or from a mediator; the answer may come from an expert or an arbitrator. With the Agriculture Bill’s proposal for the President of the CAAV to have statutory status...
It is being widely reported in the press that tomorrow (8th July) Chancellor Rishi Sunak will announce a Green Homes Grant, which will offer grants to homeowners to improve insulation in their property. We will provide further briefing to members when full details are known.
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 2nd July 2020. The interruption to public life and the economy created by the pandemic is now both a prompt and political cover for change in the planning system that would be more controversial in other circumstances. The Government is beginning to set out its recovery programme, with measures to keep current development moving, to enable change and soon more detail as to how infrastructure and major change in planning will...
The Prime Minister has set out his vision for investment in the economy to help the UK “build back better” after the Covid-19 pandemic. In this episode, Jeremy Moody discusses how the government is eager to unlock development through reforms to the planning system and investment in infrastructure. Also available on Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Catch-up on previous episodes here. ...
Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, has announced that the Government will establish a Trade and Agriculture Commission to make recommendations for agricultural trade policy, higher animal welfare standards and export opportunities for UK agriculture. The announcement was made on Twitter and reported on the NFU website....
CAAV Webinar - Dispute Resolution in the Countryside Thursday, 16th July 2020 10:15am – 11:30am Agricultural and other business disputes need cost effective, timely and practical answers. The courts are clogged and expect people to find other answers. With the Agriculture Bill, the CAAV is preparing for its President to appoint arbitrators in tenancy disputes with their considerable powers under the Arbitration Act. That brings the work of presenting clients’ arguments or in being an...
The Prime Minister has made a speech setting out an ambitious programme to drive the economy forward in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. In it he pledged to tackle investment in schools and hospitals, build flood defences and plant 30,000 ha of trees per year and to invest in transport infrastructure, including a study of transport links to the four countries of the United Kingdom. The Government press release can be found on the GOV.UK website....
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 25th June 2020 UK agriculture typically earns some £22 billion from food production and draws some £3 billion in subsidies with an ex-subsidy surplus of £1 to £2 billion. Looking more closely, of that £22 billion of farming’s commercial activity, in descending order: almost 20 per cent comes from dairying with BPS equal to 6% of sales almost 20 per cent from grazing livestock with BPS equal to 34% of sales some...
Advice and guidance on how the Tribunals across the UK are dealing with cases during the Covid-19 restrictions is available online. This includes information for applicants on how to submit applications during the restrictions and what level of service is currently being supported. In most cases there are likely to be delays in acknowledging and handling applications while most staff are still not working in their usual offices. The use of email is encouraged rather than post. For England and...
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 18th June 2020 The Agriculture Bill, moving to its Committee stage in the House of Lords, means that the CAAV is working to be ready for the President’s role as a statutory appointer of arbitrators under the 1986 and 1995 Acts. That work is also looking more broadly at all forms of dispute resolution, with a wider application than tenancies and across the United Kingdom. The aim is a service to the rural economy that...
The Compulsory Purchase Association is holding a webinar on Top Tips for Going to the Tribunal, aimed principally at more junior professionals who may not have experienced the Tribunal themselves. The webinar takes place on 29th July 2020 and details may be found on the CPT Events website....
The CAAV has joined SLE, Scottish Association of Landlords and Historic Houses Scotland in writing to Kevin Stewart, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, to ask for clarity over the new Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations. The Regulations were approved in March but were not made, as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold; it is not yet known when the Regulations will be brought into force. The four organisations have asked: That expenditure...
Inheritance Tax is estimated to have raised £5.1 billion in 2019/20, less than half the yield from SDLT, making it one of the UK’s smaller taxes but touching very sensitively on individuals and families. Its tax take has been rising, largely on the back of rising house prices bringing more people into its net. Some countries have abolished it and George Osborne’s offer in 2007 of a £1 million Nil Rate Band between a couple was enough to deter Gordon Brown from holding an election. In...
The Covid-19 pandemic and its restrictions have changed the way we live and work this spring. Many say that life will never be quite the same again. But what does the future look like for businesses? What changes might last? How does the economy recover? In this episode, Jeremy Moody tackles these big questions and more as we navigate our journey out of Covid. Also available on Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Catch-up on previous episodes here. ...
Northern Ireland's Economy Minister has announced that non-essential retail premises in the province can re-open from Friday 12th June, provided that the necessary safety measures are observed for customers and staff and that there is no increase in new cases of Covid-19.
The Government has announced that the ban on evictions from private and social rented housing, put in place to protect tenants during the coronavirus pandemic, will be extended to 23rd August 2020.
Jeremy Moody recently presented a webinar with Land Management 2.0 on ‘Tomorrow’s Work: Perspective on the Future of Land Management’. You can watch a full recording of the presentation below.
Further to DEFRA's confirmation of the English COVID-19 Dairy Hardship Fund opening for applications from 18th June 2020, the Welsh Government has confirmed that the Welsh fund will open on the same day. Eligible Welsh dairy farmers need to show they suffered a reduction of 25% or more in the average milk price they received in April and May, when compared with February 2020. Up to £10,000 funding is available to cover approximately 70% of the lost income. Farmers will need to provide...
DEFRA has confirmed that the COVID-19 dairy hardship fund announced on 6th May will open for applications from 18th June 2020. Up to £10,000 funding will be available for eligible dairy farmers to cover up to 70% of losses experienced during April and May due to the COVID-19 outbreak. To be eligible, dairy farmers need to show there was a reduction of 25% or more in the base price paid for their milk in April 2020 compared with February 2020. Guidance and the application form should be...
Looking beyond the virus restrictions, virtually every lobby group argues that its cause is further validated by the experience of the pandemic and the measures taken to tackle it. Those competing perceptions will frame the arguments we will see later this year. The largest arguments may be over the shape of future economic policy. Will there be a simple imperative to achieve recovery or will that be consciously built around climate change, environmental and other green objectives? What might...
Four environmental projects to protect and restore key habitats have been selected for funding under a pilot scheme looking to encourage private sector investment in such projects. The four projects receiving this funding are:- Devon Wildlife Trust - Restoration of the River Caen wetlands; Rivers Trust - Natural Flood Management in the River Wyre catchment; NFU - Poole Harbour Nutrient Management Scheme; and Moors for the Future Partnership - Peatland restoration in the Pennines. Further...
The RPA has confirmed that over 3,800 bridging payments were made in May for 2019 Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship unpaid revenue claims. Further details can be found on the gov.uk website.
The Welsh Agricultural Land Tribunal is seeking to appoint 3 landowner lay members to its panel. Successful applicants should have a good knowledge and experience of land management in Wales and be able to bring that to bear in considering cases. The closing date for applications is 10th June 2020 and further details are available on the Judicial Appointments Commission website....
The recent Court of Appeal decision in Borwick Development Solutions Limited v Clear Water Fisheries Limited considered whether solar panels and commercial fish pass to a buyer of the land. As the first such case on solar panels and with few legal precedents for the fish, Jeremy Moody gives a fascinating commentary on the case where fish possibly worth over £1m got away! Also available on Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Catch-up on previous episodes here. ...
The last two weeks have seen an easing in England of the Covid-19 restrictions on the property market, recovering activity in construction and increasing valuation work. With more negotiations and transactions, we may see how the property markets have moved. After 50 days of restrictions, there is the pent-up demand from many of the estimated 373,000 transactions said to have been stalled by the lockdown and then those newly motivated to buy this spring. Zoopla reports buyer interest to be 20...
The organisers of the Oxford Farming Conference have announced that it will be held as a one day digital event on Thursday 7th January 2021. From June to December 2020, OFC will hold monthly webinars to debate themes from previous conferences. To register for the free OFC Bitesize webinars, go to https://www.ofc.org.uk/conference/2021
Covid-19 now sits alongside Brexit as a radical accelerant of business change. The impact of the restrictions has been described as fast-forwarding business practice from March 2020 to, say, March 2025, with: the accelerated use of the internet, home working with remote contacts with clients, and the accelerated shock for much of retail and business use of public transport, aviation and hospitality. How might this balance out as restrictions slowly lift and businesses and people find how they...
New Regulations have been made in Scotland which will prevent landlords from letting private rented residential property if it has an EPC in Band F or G. Originally due to come into force on 1st April 2020, their introduction was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Kate Russell explains what the Regulations will require and offers some tips for landlords to plan head for their introduction. Also available on Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Catch-up on previous episodes here....
The Agriculture Bill passed its final stages in the House of Commons yesterday (13th May 2020) and should be on track to pass through Parliament by this summer. Further information is available in DEFRA's Blog.
The measures now taken in England to ease the Covid-19 restrictions on the property and development are very welcome as a contribution to movement in the economy. Some construction sites never stopped, others had re-started working and some transactions continued. Nonetheless, developers stalled much work, not risking more money on half-built houses that might not be sold, starving the pipeline for development and further chilling the economy. Intended moves have been frustrated – Zoopla...
Estate agents and letting agents may re-open in England as the latest public health regulations, which come into force today (13th May 2020) now permit people to leave their homes in order to Visit estate or letting agents, developer sales offices or show homes View residential properties to look for a property to buy or rent Prepare a residential property to move in Move home Visit a residential property to undertake any activities required for the rental or sale of that property....
The Government has announced that it will extend its furlough scheme to the end of October. From August, furloughed workers will be able to return to work part-time and employers will be asked to pay a contribution to the cost of furlough salaries. Further detail is available on the GOV.UK website.
Wales' Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths, has announced funding for eligible dairy farmers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Where dairy farmers have lost more than 25% of their income in April and May, they should be entitled for up to £10,000 funding to cover 70% of lost income. Further information is available on the gov.wales website.
In the last couple of weeks, meetings with Government and others that had been solely focused on the Covid-19 virus have begun to talk about other business once again. Post-Brexit policy re-joins the virus as an accelerant for change. The Agriculture Bill, as a priority piece of post-Brexit-legislation, returns to the Commons next week so we can be ready for 2021. The Environment Bill will probably follow. The negotiations over the future relationship with the EU have resumed with more detailed...
DEFRA has confirmed that the Agriculture Bill has been scheduled to complete its remaining stages in the House of Commons next Wednesday, 13th May 2020. It is still anticipated that the Bill should receive Royal Assent this summer.
DEFRA has announced a new hardship fund for English dairy farmers to assist with the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Each farmer should be able to access up to £10,000 funding to cover 70% of lost income during April and May. Please see the gov.uk website for a news release. Further details of this new hardship fund will be issued "in due course"....
Marian Spain has been appointed as the permanent chief executive of Natural England, having been serving as interim chief executive since December 2018. Please see the gov.uk website for further details.
We are in unusual times. It is, depending on the measure, 50 or 100 years since there was such a disease threat in the UK while we may now be in the sharpest contraction in the economy since the Great Freeze of 1709. This period has been very disruptive but, as members attest, professional work, from valuations to renewable energy, has continued. While transactions have fallen away, the market reports are of demand recovering. That Great Freeze thawed and life resumed. Out there, farming...
The Pick for Britain website https://pickforbritain.org.uk/ offers information and guidance on seasonal jobs in agriculture, with links to jobs, frequently asked questions and Government guidance. Those who have been furloughed by employers may be able to take on seasonal farm work if their contract of employment does not prevent it....
The RPA has confirmed that bridging payments will be issued to Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship agreement holders who have not received a 2019 revenue claim payment. The payments should be 75% of the current estimated claim value and issued this May. Please see the gov.uk website for further details....
Kate Russell of the CAAV explains why good practice is so important in compulsory purchase and other statutory compensation claims and highlights some of the key messages for agents involved in this work. Also available on Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Catch-up on previous episodes here....
Government has confirmed a one month extension to claim for farm payments in England. The 15th May deadline has been extended to 15th June 2020 for BPS 2020 applications and 2020 revenue claims for Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship. Please see the press release on the gov.uk website for further details....
The Government has confirmed that it will temporarily relax some competition law so that the dairy processing industry can work together to manage supply and demand during the coronavirus pandemic. In recent weeks some dairy farmers have had to throw away fresh milk because their buyers have lost catering and food service contracts. It is hoped that the temporary relaxation will allow more fresh milk to be processed into longer-life products, such as cheese, butter, or skimmed milk powder....
Michelmores Solicitors has published a useful article on options for landowners facing busy rights of way during the coronavirus pandemic. The article can be found on the Michelmores website.
Contract Farming Webinar Thursday, 30th April 2020 10:15 - 11:15am With many farmers and landowners needing to look hard at and review their businesses, joint ventures offer one possible answer. Contract farming agreements have developed as one form of joint venture approach that has suited many. They can be flexible, give access to skills and machinery but need to be done properly. Widely used in combineable cropping, the CAAV has updated its publication “Arable Farming with...
The Government has issued the formal Notice to Proceed for HS2 Phase 1, which enables the detailed design work and then construction to begin for the London to West Midlands section of the railway.
The Scottish Government has called on people to be responsible in their use of rights of access to the countryside during the Covid-19 pandemic, suggesting that people should stay in their local area, maintain social distancing, respect the health and safety of farm workers and keep dogs under control.