This What's New section is a quick one-stop shop to show you the most recent additions to the Members Area (log-in required) and News items.
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.
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 9th November 2023 Speaking to the North East Chamber of Commerce, Keir Starmer returned strongly to his party conference theme of the vigour that a Labour Government would bring to secure new housing and infrastructure as part of encouraging economic growth (see webnote). It chimes quite closely with the legislation that the Conservative Government is putting in place and, even while repeating the intention to “bulldoze”...
New regulations under the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 now bring into effect from 7th November 2023 its requirement at s.69 for telecommunications operators to provide information about Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) when serving certain notices under the Electronic Communications Code. This note provides a summary.
These Regulations set a statutory 60 day time limit for farmers to challenge BPS decisions and a further 60-day time limit if they wish to appeal. See CAAV Note 7th November 2023 for further information.
These Regulations revoke the BPS legislation in England, but allow its legislation to continue to apply for the purposes of BPS 2023 and prior scheme years. See CAAV Note 7th November 2023 for further information.
The Government has today laid two statutory instruments in Parliament which confirm the end of the Basic Payment Scheme for England from the end of this year and so of 31 years of area-based direct payments. This note provides a summary.
The King has, this morning given the Speech setting out the Government’s intended legislative programme for what is likely to be the last session of the present Parliament. The note below reviews the measures of most relevance to rural and property practice. With the scale of devolution many of the measures are particularly focussed on England.
This note provides a summary of the legislation in England and Wales concerning Energy Performance Certificates and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and addresses some frequently asked questions.
The Select Committee published its Second Special Report on the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill, announcing that it has paused its work because of the recent announcement by the Prime Minister. The Committee will not be holding any further hearings until it receives further information from the Government or instruction from the House. The report explains in full why this decision has been made and expresses the Committee’s hope that clarity will be forthcoming soon for the benefit...
Although receiving Royal Assent on 26th October 2023, most provisions of this Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 require commencement regulations to be brought into effect and so are not currently in force. Once fully implemented, the Act will provide a range of measures to tackle money laundering, corruption and fraud. This includes greater transparency over who owns and controls Limited Companies and limited partnerships (LPs). The CAAV Note of 9th May 2023 outlines how the...
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 2nd November 2023 The variability of British weather has long been a topic of conversation but our extreme weather events now come “not single spies but in battalions”. Hundreds of acres of Lincolnshire farmland are still flooded and Angus had at least 11½” of rain in October, the wettest since its records started in 1891. As rain falls on saturated land, we see surface water flooding as well as river flooding –...
Last week the government announced that the Energy Act 2023 received Royal Assent, the final version is now available. Our webnote of 16th March 2023, written at the end of the Committee Stage in the House of Lords discussed the main areas likely to be of interest to members. Since the Bill entered the Commons it has undergone several amendments. We will provide an update on the Act as soon as possible....
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act received Royal Assent on the 26th of October. It would ordinarily take effect 2 months later, though most items will take much more work and will not commence for some time. The CAAV will brief members on the ongoing impacts of the Act.
Farming Connect Wales is offering fully funded workshops looking at improving herd and flock health, performance and productivity. These workshops are to support farmers in preparing for the coming Sustainable Farming Scheme and in working toward the net zero target. More detail is available online....
The Government has launched a review focused on promoting fairness, transparency and accountability across the egg supply chain. The consultation seeks views on how the UK egg sector currently functions and how it can be improved. The consultation deadline is 22nd December 2023....
The RPA have informed use that they have identified an issue with the Rural Payments Service (RPS). In order to investigate the problem, they have taken the RPS offline. We will update members when more is known about restoring the service. Update: 2nd November, 3:45pm - The RPS is now back online.
Following the making of the Environment Act 2021 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2023, s. 19 of the Environment Act – the duty of Ministers to have due regard to the environmental principles when making policy decisions – comes into force from 1st November 2023. This note provides more detail. We looked at some of the background to and development of the principles in our note of 31st January 2023....
Responding to the often-repeated policy aim to increase the tree cover in England the English Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) and WD1 Woodland Maintenance Countryside Stewardship option have been updated. This note provides more information....
This week, the RPA has commenced the run-in to the roll-out of delinked payments. This note provides more information. Those looking for a refresher on the background and principles of the delinked payments should see our website note of 2nd May 2023. More detailed questions may find an answer in our Q&A document of 12th May....
The Detailed Working Papers for the CAAV Costings of Agricultural Operations 2023 are attached. They take effect from 1st September 2023. Please note that these papers are protected by CAAV copyright - they are for the use of CAAV members and members of the Costings Committee and are not for wider circulation.
This year has again seen torrential and destructive flooding across Europe, from Emilia Romagna in Italy in the spring to Greece, the Balkans and Spain in the late summer and now Storm Babet across Britain. With the serious floods there, valuers in Slovenia were asked by lenders about the longer term effects on property values. They turned to TEGOVA for support and, through the EVSB, Jeremy Moody prepared the attached commentary on issues that might apply to the UK as much as to Slovenia....
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 26th October 2023 It is only October and we already have our second “named” storm. Storm Babet has repeatedly battered and saturated Angus, Aberdeenshire and neighbouring counties with still more rain falling after silage bales had been washed out to sea. Flooding has gone wider, whether Framlingham, Derby, Retford, parts of the Welsh border and now the central south coast. This is the present taste of the more volatile,...
DEFRA has published a draft biodiversity gain plan template, along with accompanying guidance, to illustrate the information that may be required to be submitted to an LPA to meet the requirements of Biodiversity Net Gain. This note provides more detail.
The government has announced that the Energy Act 2023 has received Royal Assent, the final version is now available. Since the Bill entered the Commons it has undergone several amendments.
Natural England has joined and then extended two nature reserves in Somerset to create a ‘super’ nature reserve of around 1,400 hectares. This note provides more detail.
The Government has for several years promised residential tenancy legislation in England, including the abolition of s.21 of the Housing Act to remove the ability to serve a notice for repossession without giving a reason (the “no fault” notice). The Government issued its response to the report on the Bill and is now to delay the operational repeal of s.21 until the associated court reforms to support repossession proceedings are in place. Other statements in relation to student lets and...
The Government has announced that the closing date for new applications to the Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) is to be extended to 31st March 2028. The extension is in response to difficulties experienced by project sponsors in commissioning anaerobic digestion plant and in securing feedstock. The extension is part of the Government's response to the mid-scheme review. Further details of the response will follow in due course. The policy framework for biomethane following the closure of the...
Applications open on the 23th October for the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund 2024. More information is available here: Facilitation Fund 2024: Countryside Stewardship - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 19th October 2023 For at least 30 years, the rural rumour mill over the future of APR periodically goes into overdrive. The chatter then reverberates as others pick it up and repeat the echoes, making the speculation appear real – all told, a masochistic part of rural debate. We seem to be on the edge of one such moment as people try to join up the few dots about future Labour tax policies in this area. Use of APR was on...
With Storm Babet passing through the UK, the RPA has published guidance for scheme holders affected by severe weather events. The guidance is available here: Extreme weather guidance for farmers and land managers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The Welsh Government has published a written statement setting out the two stage process of amending the Welsh Water Regulations including: the final extension of the 170kg/ha annual holding nitrogen limit to 1st January 2024; andthe process to be implemented, of an 'Enhanced Nutrient Management Approach' where the limit is likely to be exceeded. This note sets out these changes to the nitrogen holding limit rules, the last section of Phase 2 of the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural...
Members will be aware of the recent requirement to submit an Expression of Interest ahead of applying for the Sustainable Farming Incentive in England. That requirement is to be lifted this week, and applications invited through the Rural Payments Service. Those farming on commons, however, should continue to express their interest with the Rural Payments Agency.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its Update Report on consumer protection work on two separate studies it conducted earlier this year: Housebuilding - focusing on house quality, land management (including land 'banking' practices), local authority oversight and innovation. This study examined the markets in Great Britain, with Northern Ireland markets seen as "significantly different".Private Rented Sector Consumer Rights - reviewing the end-to-end experience from a...
Natural England and DEFRA are carrying out user research in the Magic Map application. They are looking for feedback on the service from users and non-users alike. The short survey can be found here. Update: 18th October A common issue identified by users of the Magic Map is the printing of maps from the application. This is a known problem for the Chrome and Edge browsers (which has been on-running since at least August last year). Using Firefox or Internet Explorer may enable maps...
The National Infrastructure Commission has published ‘The Second National Infrastructure Assessment’, being an update from the first Assessment published in 2018 and said to provide “…probably the most comprehensive assessment yet of the infrastructure costs associated with supporting regional growth and reaching net zero”. The note below provides a summary.
From 2nd October, any small sewage discharge point started must comply with two new general binding rules. The rules are minimum conditions and limits set by Environmental Permitted Regulations. This note sets out the new rules highlighting the need for consideration of practical implications. Attached is the daily discharge calculator for domestic properties, from the Gov.UK website, to calculate whether a discharge point meets the rules....
The Scottish Parliament has voted to extend measures to protect tenants to March 2024. The measures, under The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act 2022, introduced in October 2022, include the 3% rent cap and additional eviction protections. More details can be found on the Scottish Government website.
BASIS, the agricultural and environmental qualifying and training body, has developed a register for environmental advisers. With the growing focus on environmental delivery through Government schemes and private initiatives, the intention is to provide an industry platform for those who plan to offer farm environmental advice to businesses in the UK. More detail on the register can be found here: BASIS | Environmental Advisers Register (basis-reg.co.uk). In the future, entry to the register...
The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) has now been updated to a 5th Edition. This note provides more detail.
This review, focused most on issues relevant to land and its use, is essentially drawn from speeches, statements and papers issued at or for the Labour Party Conference last week, together with press reports. The Labour election manifesto is yet to be written while policies can be expected to be subject to further evolution, never minding how they might be reshaped by the practicalities of government and events. Nonetheless, what has been said indicates a sense of intended direction....