Articles in ‘Agriculture’ Category

Alice Newsome, solicitor in our Residential Property, Farms & Estates team discusses the benefits of registering your property with the Land Registry.

It is common for landowners to agree to lease part of their property for non-agricultural purposes, most commonly for storage or lock ups.

Often such agreements are simply “hand-shake” agreements made verbally or informally based on an established good relationship. A long commercial agreement will rarely be necessary in these circumstances but a straightforward lease can be useful to record the basics and avoid disputes.

In a case keenly watched by the agricultural sector, a planned housing development on a farm in south Wales may not be able to proceed due to the developer being unable to undertake wildlife surveys. A ruling that has significant implications for both landowners and agricultural tenants.

While the application deadline of 15 June 2015 for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) has now passed, it is possible to submit late BPS applications and to make changes to BPS applications until midnight on 10 July 2015.

Further recommendations have been made this month for the introduction of a new statutory scheme for conservation covenants in England and Wales.

A recent case where a farmer had not made a Will had enormous repercussions for his family trying to protect his legacy many years after his death. Sharon MacDonald discusses the importance of Wills and pre-nuptial agreements especially in the agricultural community.

Recent court cases have highlighted an increasing trend of disputes relating to rights to inherit farmland. Given the publicity that inheritance disputes receive in the media and given the increasing value of farmland, it would appear that these disputes will continue to affect farm owners for many years to come.

Promoters have become an established part of the world of development. By entering into an agreement (known as a Promotion Agreement) with them landowners can use the skill, knowledge and funds of an experienced developer to obtain planning permission for their land, even if not currently earmarked for development.