Could the latest business rates revaluation hit your pocket?

Ashford Borough Council opens 'Call for Sites' Consultation

By Elizabeth Welch

Ashford Borough Council is seeking suitable sites for inclusion in their Local Plan Review.  Landowners have until the 20th November 2023 to put land forward for potential development.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) applications open in September

By Matthew Sawdon

DEFRA has announced that SFI applications will open on the 18th of September 2023.  Below we have highlighted some of the key points and considerations.

Outlook - Autumn 2023

By Matthew Sawdon

Expansion of Permitted Development Rights, developments on the Sustainable Farming Incentive and news of grants for cattle farmers

What to do when a utility company wants access to your land

By Jon Rimmer

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Unleashing Rural Opportunity – A Government charm offensive?

By Matthew Sawdon

Defra has released its vision for unleashing rural opportunity covering planning, connectivity, employment and transport.

The Delinking of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) Payments

By Karen Ross

2023 marks the end of BPS payments in their current form, with Defra introducing “delinked payments” in 2024 as English agricultural policy continues its transition away from the EU’s model of financial support.

Water Management Grant for Arable or Horticultural Businesses is now Open!

By Thomas Hamplett

Defra has announced that the first stage of its Water Management Grant is now open for applications. Grants of up to £500,000 are available to improve water efficiency and secure water supplies for crop irrigation.

Farming Equipment and Technology Grant - Round 2 announced!

By Thomas Hamplett

Defra has announced the second round of the popular Farming Equipment and Technology Grant, offering grants of up to £25,000 towards items that will improve agricultural sustainability, horticultural and forestry productivity, and improve animal welfare.

BPS Entitlement trading window now open!

By Thomas Hamplett

This year is the last year in which BPS entitlements can be traded with de-linkage set to be introduced from next year.

New standards added to the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme

By Matthew Sawdon

DEFRA announces further developments for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship Schemes. The schemes offer new funding opportunities for farmers.

Changes to Countryside Stewardship and ELM's

By Matthew Sawdon

After months of political uncertainty, new prime ministers and cabinet reshuffles, the Government wheels are starting to turn again. The backlog of policy is beginning to come through.

Steve Davies and Elizabeth Welch promoted to Associate Directors

By Sam Snart

These promotions reflect our fantastic commitment to providing our clients with the best planning advice.

Calling all pig, beef and dairy farmers - slurry infrastructure grant open

By Thomas Hamplett

Grants of up to £250,000 are now available to help farmers increase slurry storage capacity.

BPS Lump Sum Exit Scheme

By Karen Ross

Open for applications until the 30th of September 2022. To be Eligible you must have: claimed and be eligible, for BPS payments in the 2018 scheme year or in an earlier scheme year or inherited […]

Development Sites

By Bill Lightfoot

We are currently in the process of marketing a site for 87 new homes on the edge of New Romney at a guide price of £5,000,000. The market is strong for this type of development […]

Tax Advice

By Vicky Hutton-Squire

It can be as simple as ensuring you and your professional advisors truly understand the overall strategy to ensure you (or your beneficiaries) stand to benefit when the time comes. This can be maximising value […]

Land market remains strong

By Matthew Sawdon

Farmland values have now reached their highest level since 2016, with the average value of good arable land currently in the region of £9,500 per acre. There continues to be wide variations in prices being […]

Sustainable Farming Incenitive (SFI) to launch in June

By Matthew Sawdon

DEFRA have confirmed that the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will launch in June 2022.  We will continue to publish more detailed information once the scheme details are released.  Here is an overview of the first […]

Woodland Creation Grants - Up to £8,500 per hectare

By Charlotte Bromley

Woodlands are a unique asset with potential to provide a variety of benefits for their owners and users.  Converting marginal or unproductive land into new woodland could create a new income stream for farmers and […]

Opportunities and challenges ahead

By Matthew Sawdon

However, with these new opportunities, come challenges as the agriculture sector faces increasing demand to reduce its carbon footprint, whilst inflationary pressures are making everyday business more challenging. Here we look at some of the […]

Increased payments for Countryside Stewardship Schemes (CSS)

By Matthew Sawdon

DEFRA has announced that payment rates for many Countryside Stewardship revenue options will increase by up to 30%. This is for both existing and new agreements.

Local Nature Recovery (LNR) and Landscape Recovery (LR)

By Matthew Sawdon

These recent announcements focus on Local Nature Recovery (LNR) and Landscape Recovery (LR), together with some good news in respect of Countryside Stewardship revenue payments.

DEFRA release details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) rollout 2022

By Matthew Sawdon

The proposed rollout is the first element of the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS). The agreements will last 3 years, with payments made quarterly.  There will be no minimum or maximum land areas and applicants […]

Development land market in the pandemic

By Bill Lightfoot

Well as it happens, I am pleased to say that Jon Rimmer, Sam Snart and I have been incredibly busy, and the development world has kept on turning. It’s populated by optimistic, resourceful and determined […]

Vicky Phillips passes the RICS Expert Witness Certificate

By Vicky Hutton-Squire

For those outside of the legal profession, there are few venues in everyday life more daunting than the courtroom. This applies if you are there as one of the parties, seeking for a Judge or […]

Sustainable Farming Incentive

By Matthew Sawdon

The first phase is due to be rolled out to all BPS claimants from mid-2022 with a full launch in 2024. Payments will be in addition to the Basic Payment Scheme and the SFI is […]

Timbeeeeeeeer!

By Vicky Hutton-Squire

DEFRA have brought in a reverse auction system whereby landowners seeking to create woodland in England over the next 30 years can bid to secure government issued carbon credits, through competitive bidding to establish a […]

Rewilding in Agricultural Tenancies

By Sam Snart

Most existing agricultural tenancies will not properly capture these opportunities so it is important for landlords and tenants to discuss and agree who might ultimately benefit from any new arrangements relating to biodiversity gain, nutrient […]

New grant scheme targets AONBs and National Parks

By Sophie Walker

The scheme is for one-off projects which: support nature recovery mitigate the impacts of climate change provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage support nature-friendly, sustainable farm […]

Biodiversity Net Gain - what we know so far

By Steve Davies

The Environment Bill of 2018 contained a proposal by the Government to make this a mandate to be demonstrated by all development proposals in order to obtain planning permission. It is now identified as policy […]

Rights of Way

By Sophie Walker

As England entered Lockdown 3.0, despite the weather, the ‘daily walk’ once again came to the fore as a valuable source of respite. While it’s great to see people enjoying the countryside, the flip-side for […]

Rent review - Is now the time?

By Matthew Sawdon

Tenants are reluctant to seek a rent review for fear of upsetting a longstanding relationship with their landlord, and many landlords want to agree a compromise to maintain a sustainable relationship going forward. Rent formulas […]

More powers to tenants

By Vicky Hutton-Squire

Years of lobbying by the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has finally resulted in successful amendments to The Agriculture Act to make retirement and succession under old farming tenancies easier. Here’s a few areas that have […]

The Importance of Place Making – Will A National Design Code Assist?

By Steve Davies

The main criticism of new development is that it does not create the quality of environment that we like. We all have our favourite places to visit, the place where the mix of buildings and […]

Grants and Subsidies

By Matthew Sawdon

Through the agricultural transition plan, the Government sets out its vision. It’s a useful starting point, although currently it does not provide all the answers and we await detailed, costed guidance. WHAT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE? […]

Is your business ready for the Agriculture Bill?

By Vicky Hutton-Squire

The time immortal words of Mark Twain continue to strike a chord as Britain’s second agricultural revolution starts to take shape. We now know BPS is going, and much faster than expected. The first £30,000 […]

The Agricultural Transition Plan – Is your business prepared?

By Matthew Sawdon

Plans to deliver a fairer farming system were set out by the government on the 30th October with the release of the “Agricultural Transition Plan”. The plan will transform the way farmers are supported from […]

What a year!

By Sam Snart

We have continued to support and advise our clients, whether this is in the livestock market, selling property, or undertaking professional work. We have a great team of professionals and they have worked hard to […]

Stour Catchment Planning Update

In July 2020, Natural England issued water quality advice that had an immediate impact on planning applications for new homes located within the Stour Catchment, although it took until late September for Local Authorities to […]

All change for the land market?

By Vicky Hutton-Squire

In a past and present of uncertainty and volatility; and with increasingly negative media speculation in relation to the future economy, perhaps now is the time to sell up and move on? We have been […]

Public money for public goods

By Matthew Sawdon

Currently applications for Countryside Stewardship will remain open until 2023. After which it is mooted that a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) may be introduced to bridge the gap between the end of the Basic Payment […]

Kent and East Sussex - Local Plan updates and deadlines

By Sam Snart

Local plans are important planning policy documents which are used to guide development to certain areas. These plans take a long time in the making, which means that there are only certain times in perhaps […]

Have your say now on the new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS)

By Matthew Sawdon

As part of this, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has opened a public consultation on the proposed new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS). This will be DEFRA’s cornerstone agricultural policy paying […]

Land and property market has woken up

By Bill Lightfoot

The Friday after the General Election, when we woke up to an 80-seat majority for the Conservatives, three and a half years of weak government came to an end. And with it a large dose […]

Delinking could drive diversification and land sales

By Jon Rimmer

Delinking looks set to be a major change of the Agriculture Bill as payments to current recipients will no longer be conditional on remaining in farming. Consultation on this issue is expected later this year, […]

What's the future for the Basic Payment Scheme?

By Matthew Sawdon

The phasing out of the Basic Payments Scheme (BPS) will be one of the biggest challenges for farmers and landowners when the Agricultural Bill is introduced. Nothing major will change for 2020 as payments will […]

Agricultural Property Relief - Don’t let the taxman harvest more than his due

By Vicky Hutton-Squire

The first-tier tribunal decision in Charnely vs HMRC centred on to what extent a 79-year-old Lancashire farmer could be considered to have been actively farming at the time of his death. Broadly, HMRC argued he […]

Agriculture Bill - What could it mean for landowners and farmers?

By Sam Snart

Our attention must be on the Agriculture Bill, which the Government hopes to have in place by the spring to allow the country to develop its own agricultural policy. Change is the only certainty; the […]

Wanting to plough your grassland?

By Sophie Walker

The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (EIA) Regulations came into force in 2006 with the aim of protecting environmentally significant areas from being damaged by agricultural works. Broadly speaking, where agricultural land has not been physically […]

Rural Funding Opportunities

By Vicky Hutton-Squire

Defra has confirmed £35 million of funding will be made available to rural businesses under the RDPE Growth Programme. A share of the Rural Development Programme money – minimum level £20,000 – is available to […]

Agricultural Occupancy Condition

Family decisions from days gone by can have a lasting impact on farms today, as has recently been discovered by a number of families who have found reason to ask Hobbs Parker Property Consultants for […]

Inheritance Tax Review

By Vicky Hutton-Squire

While the government continues to muddle through Brexit, and the opposition is busy publishing “Land for the Many” suggesting much wider and more radical reforms, in the background the Civil Service continues to quietly review […]

How to protect your land from the creation of new rights of way

By Sophie Walker

While everyone should be able to appreciate and enjoy the British countryside, public access causes a range of issues and it is in landowners’ interest to prevent new routes being created. Increasing levels of dog […]

Otties Farm - New Dairy for yoghurt and cheese making

Three generations have worked the land at Ottinge since the turn of last century. The rolling green hills of the Elham Valley make for perfect dairy country and so the cows arrived to the pastures […]

The farming voice must be heard for a Green Brexit

By Jon Rimmer

The beginning of May sees the deadline for Kent landowners and farmers to give their views on DEFRA’s ‘Health & Harmony: The Future for Food, Farming and the Environment in a Green Brexit’. If adopted, […]

Planning permission granted for 14 homes in Whitfield

Proposals to build 14 high quality homes at Whitfield have been given the go-ahead by Dover District Council. Permissions for the new four and five bed properties was secured by Hobbs Parker Property Consultants, with […]

How to make the best of a Compulsory Purchase Order

By Sam Snart

As a result there is likely to be an ongoing demand to use compulsory purchase powers (CPOs) to make it all happen – and that can often be difficult for the landowner unless they’ve got […]

Permitted development in town centres

By Steve Davies

Potential planning changes could have implications for our town centres, which is timely given the ongoing crop of high profile retail administrations. The Government consultation on Permitted Developments Rights covering the upward extensions of buildings […]

Tenancy planning for landowners

By Matthew Sawdon

As politicians continue to wrestle with Brexit, there is obviously significant uncertainty. What we do know is that Brexit – if it happens – will bring changes, and landlords and tenants alike should be prepared. There could be changes to financial […]

Netflix linked with move to Ashford?

By Sam Snart

The possible plans for a European filming hub presented recently to Ashford Borough Council could transform the long-abandoned Newtown railway works into seven state-of-the-art film studios. If the project goes ahead, the studios could sit […]

Thinking local is the answer when planning to develop

By Elizabeth Welch

Successful development is often about having the right land in the right place, but when it comes to the right timing, the progress of the Local Plan process can often make or break a deal or decision. With districts […]

Housing secured in the Green Belt

A Grade II-listed oast house and associated farm buildings will be transformed into six homes after Sevenoaks District Council gave the green light for the development at Foxbury Farm, Stone Street, near Seal. Permission has been given to convert the […]

National Planning Policy Framework update

By Steve Davies

The redesign of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has given councils greater powers to promote housing. However, the Government can now punish councils if they don’t deliver the presumption in favour of sustainable development. The reality is most authorities, cashstrapped by […]

Vicky Phillips returns to Hobbs Parker's Property Consultants team

By Sam Snart

Having reached the position of Partner in her previous role at a national firm, Vicky has a wealth of experience in farm, land and estate valuations in the south-east and nationally, for private client, high […]

Change of use and permitted development to support the high street

‘Planning Reform: Supporting the high street and increasing the delivery of new homes’, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, consults on possible new permitted development (PD) rights which could make it easier to change the use of buildings […]

Hobbs Parker welcomes new Senior Planner to the team

By Jon Rimmer

Senior Planning Consultant Elizabeth Welch joins the team after almost a decade at Dover District Council. Prior to her local authority work, Elizabeth has worked at Bovis Homes, Barton Wilmore and Ward Homes. She is a fully qualified Chartered Town Planner […]

Inheritance tax relief for farm businesses

By Sam Snart

It is not uncommon for farm businesses to shy away from Inheritance Tax planning, as it is sometimes controversial within families, and almost always time-consuming. However, a proactive approach is vital in tax planning to ensure eligibility for relevant reliefs. Farm […]

Solar farms advice for landowners

The key advancement is the reduction of installation costs and increase in efficiency of the solar panels. The average installation is priced at around £600,000 per MW compared to £1.4m in 2011, and wholesale energy prices are still […]

Green plans could mean red light for development

By Steve Davies

Ashford-based Hobbs Parker Property Consultants LLP (HPPC) is concerned that if confirmed DEFRA’s consultation about development delivering a bio-diversity net gain will introduce an additional requirement on developers that will need to be addressed from […]

A development opportunity half done!

By Bill Lightfoot

Congratulations, you did it. Your local authority
 has granted you planning permission for development. It’s in your hand, signed. The corks are popping! Hold on just a minute, because as well
 as you’ve done so far, […]

19 New Development Sites for Ashford

By Steve Davies

The draft local plan was put out to consultation last year. It has been reviewed by the Council and the latest version of the plan is due to be put to the Council’s cabinet with […]

Planning to succeed

By Steve Davies

As a result, development can be difficult, especially for housebuilders, as many local communities fail to recognise the need
to increase the demand of the growing population. The Government, which is publicly committed to delivering a […]

Could the latest business rates revaluation hit your pocket?

By Sam Snart

Farm buildings and agricultural land will continue to be exempt from business rates as long as they are being used for agriculture. However, many farmers may have diversified since the last revaluation in 2010 and […]

Is now the right time to diversify?

By Sam Snart

As well as developing your business plan and securing the necessary finance, many face the challenge of avoiding lengthy and costly planning applications, especially with many farms being in the AoNB or close to SSSIs […]

Favourable exchange rate brings timely relief to farmers

By Matthew Sawdon

Recent forecasts for net farm income for all farm types for the year to March 2016 are down by 25 per cent, equivalent to an average of £13,000. The 2016 exchange rate for this year’s […]

Permitted Development Rights for rural buildings

The current legislation offers an excellent opportunity to farmers and landowners to quickly and cost-effectively secure planning permission for new dwellings in rural areas. It applies to buildings up to 450m2 in area and/or three […]

Agricultural Grant Scheme Launched for Hedgerows and Boundaries

By Matthew Sawdon

The deadline for applications is 30 April. Benefits may be obtained for capital items such as hedge planting, laying and coppicing, earth bank restoration stone-faced bank repair and restoration, and stone wall restoration. A woodland […]

How to gain planning permission -- a view from both sides of the fence

By Steve Davies

  Having joined Hobbs Parker Property Consultants six months ago, with nearly 30 years’ planning experience gained at Canterbury City Council and local authorities, Steve Davies gives an insight into the world on both sides […]

What does Brexit mean for the whole planning system?

By Jon Rimmer

It’s been impossible to get away from the issue of the European Union referendum and the vote to leave. However, it’s important to consider what it might mean for the whole planning environment and how […]