What's New

From 11th December, the previous £250,000 cap on Variable Monetary Penalties has been lifted, enabling the Environment Agency to raise unlimited financial penalties against polluters. This note has more detail.

Ahead of its launch on 15th January, DEFRA and Innovate UK have published the guidance for the next round of the Large R&D Partnerships competition. This note has more detail.

DEFRA has opened a Small Abattoir Fund. This note has a very brief overview.

DEFRA has published the detail of Round 2 of the Improving Farm Productivity Grant. This note gives an overview.

Natural England and the Forestry Commission have jointly published the policy document Our Position on Woodland Creation. This note reproduces some passages from the document.

DEFRA has published more detail on the approach to delivering the 30 by 30 target in England. This note reviews the publication.

The results of the CAAV’s 2023 Written, Practical and Oral professional examinations for Fellowship are being issued this morning to candidates. The note below provides further information, including an Appendix summarising overall statistics.

The Welsh Government Small Grants Scheme for Yard Coverings (Round 2) closes on 15th December 2023. This note sets out the grant funding, with an annex covering the types of works covered, providing up to 40% funding between £3,000-£12,000.

DEFRA has now published the final version of the BNG metric for use in January, along with accompanying guidance: Calculate biodiversity using the biodiversity metric - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). This note provides more information.

This note sets out the changes to Welsh Water Regulations (see website notes on this topic, including amendments in Member Documents/Wales/Water and Flooding/Nitrate Vulnerable Zones) made under The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2023, including: extension of the annual limit on land with more than 80% of agricultural area sown as grass to 1st January 2025 and;the introduction of the Enhanced Nutrient Management Plan, as announced in...

This note takes a brief look at the end of cross compliance in England, a signposts readers to the latest Government guidance.

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill follows last year’s Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act which ended ground rents for new, qualifying long residential leasehold properties in England and Wales. This Bill proposes larger and longer-term changes for owners of houses and flats on existing long leases, appearing in practical terms to bring much of the ground rent system to an end. This note sets out the main provisions of the Bill....

Round 3 of the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund opens for applications on 11th December. This note has more detail.

Natural England has prepared and published two template documents in relation to habitat management and monitoring for BNG: Template Habitat Management and Monitoring PlanTemplate Monitoring Report There is accompanying guidance published online. This note provides a brief overview....

The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2023 No. 1279 extends permitted development rights in England principally in respect of solar power generation facilities. It also makes minor changes to permitted development rights for telecoms masts and open prisons.

Steve Barclay, the new DEFRA Secretary of State, outlined a series of grants, totalling almost £45 million, to a CLA Conference. The details of these grants are to be announced over coming weeks. They are from within the £168 million total funding announced earlier this year by Mark Spencer at the NFU AGM.

On 29th November, the draft Biodiversity Gain Site Register Regulations 2024 were published on Gov.uk, providing the detail on the use and management of the register. These are reviewed here, and we will update members on any significant amendments. Updated 4th December: Information added on fees and penalties...

The COP28 international summit on climate change in Dubai has announced that 134 world leaders have agreed the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action. This note provides and overview....

This note reviews the pricing and role of statutory credits for Biodiversity Net Gain in England.

This note looks at the definition and place of irreplaceable habitats within Biodiversity Net Gain.

Biodiversity Net Gain requirements for planning applications become mandatory, for most development, from January 2024. Small sites and infrastructure development have staggered implementation dates: April 2024 and November 2025 respectively. Some types of development, however, are exempt from the BNG requirements. This note provides an overview.

DEFRA has today (29th November) published a series of announcements relating to nature recovery. Drawing a connection to the upcoming COP28 Climate Conference, these relate to a range of ongoing programmes and schemes, as well as providing detail on forthcoming work. This note provides an overview of those announcements relevant for rural work.

The UK Government announced up to £15 million of support will be available to respond to flooding in areas of Northern Ireland in the absence of the Executive. The money has been made available through the granting of a request made to HM Treasury jointly by the UK Government’s Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland’s Department of Finance to reallocate funding from capital to resource budgets – recognising the need to be nimble and act swiftly at times of crisis for communities....

The Welsh Government has announced proposal to update and reform the Council Tax system in Wales. The consultation seeks views on how and when changes should be made to the basic structure of Council Tax in Wales and update the property valuations used. See the consultation for full details and how to respond. The deadline for the consultation is 6th February 2024.

The Department of Finance has launched a 14-week consultation on a range of rates reliefs and allowances. The announcement summarises the seven proposals for changes to rate reliefs: four are in the non-domestic sector, and three are in the domestic sector, with greater detail in the consultation papers. The deadline for the consultation is 13th February 2024....

DEFRA has announced that Round 2 of the Slurry Infrastructure Grant is now open for applications. Our website note of 13th October provides an overview of the Slurry Infrastructure Grant Round 2 Guidance, published by DEFRA on 13th October 2023. The grant is to improve or expand slurry storage capacity and to cover stores. It must be used to reach the grant storage requirements: 6 months for beef and dairy8 months for pigs The deadline for full applications is 27th June 2025....

DEFRA has updated the guidance for applying for Grassland Derogation for 2024. Applications must be made between 9th November and 31st December 2023 for grassland derogation in 2024, those made in June/July 2023 will only apply to 2023.

The forms for the 2023 CAAV Agricultural Land Occupation Survey for England and Wales have been circulated to Local Association secretaries by email and are attached again here for convenience. The survey records changes in land occupation, including new arrangements (FBTs, succession tenancies, grazing agreements or contract farming arrangements) and identifying what has happened to land that has left the let sector (sold or taken in-hand, for example). It does not ask about rent. This is the...

DEFRA has invited the CAAV and other representative bodies (together with some individuals) to seek views and evidence from their members on questions arising out of the Government’s response last May to the report of the Rock Review on Tenant Farming. This paper summarises the issues and questions being asked and invites members to respond with their comments and relevant evidence to the Secretariat (jeremy@caav.org.uk) by 21st December so that they can be brought together and reviewed for...

The Government has now issued its response to the consultation on Community Benefits for Electricity Transmission Network Infrastructure. The note below provides a summary. Four webinars are to be offered to provide an overview of the proposals and answer questions - see these links to register for these events. register for webinars aimed at individuals and community representatives register for webinars aimed at industry representatives...

This note summarises key points for members from the Government's Autumn Statement 2023.

These Regulations make changes to the written statement of contracts and termination notice RHW17, as summarised in CAAV Note 22nd November 2023.

Legislation associated with the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 has been amended by The Renting Homes (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/1199), seeing revised template contracts and an amended termination notice RHW17, which is now only to be used in limited circumstances where 2 months' notice is required. These changes take effect from 6th December 2023 and it will be important that the new template contracts are used from this date. Members will need to check and...

Natural England has published a set of flowcharts for land managers who are considering creating or enhancing habitat to generate BNG Units. This note provides more detail.

This Report provides a review of HS2 including programme update, local community impact and engagement as well as land and property issues. For claimants who have had land acquired that is no longer required for revised scheme, the Report states "We are committed to acting in good faith and for fair treatment for all affected – particularly those with transactions in progress – while protecting taxpayers appropriately." It also provides a brief update on safeguarding, reconfirming that...

A draft code of practice on right to rent has been published, which will be applicable to landlords and their agents in England. It is due to come into force at the same time as the Immigration Act 2014 (Residential Accommodation) (Maximum Penalty) Order 2023 and the Immigration (Restrictions on Employment and Residential Accommodation) (Codes of Practice) (Amendment) Order 2023 - these Orders amend the civil penalties that apply for breaches. The code of practice is due to come into force...

This note provides an update on fertiliser values for tenant right in 2023.

The Department for Communities has issued a consultation on draft Regulations for Section 8 of the Private Tenancies Act 2022, which would require the installation of sufficient smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide alarms in private rented properties. The consultation closes on 6th December 2023.

The Department for Communities has issued a consultation on draft Regulations for Section 10 of the Private Tenancies Act 2022, which would introduce certified 5-yearly checks of a private rented property’s hard-wired electrical installation by a qualified electrician. The consultation closes on 6th December 2023.

The Compulsory Purchase Association (CPA) has offered CAAV members a 50% discount to its Talking Heads: CPO 'Cheshire Lounge Tribunal Decision'. The event can be booked here. The discount code is 'CAAV1212' (note that CPA members can attend free).

Following the Government reshuffle, this note sets out the Ministerial team at DEFRA.

The Government has just issued its latest statement on its approach to managing land for nature in responding to a House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee report on the “30 by 30” policy – An Extraordinary Challenge: Restoring 30 per cent of Our Land and Sea by 2030. This note provides an overview....

DEFRA has today confirmed Bluetongue virus serotype 3 in a single adult cow at a premises just east of Canterbury. The note below provides further information.