News

October 2022 – 9 Planning Pointers

If you have a vineyard or viticulture business – or are thinking about establishing one – it’s likely you’ll come into contact with the planning authorities at some point. It can feel like an intimidating prospect, but keeping a few key considerations in mind will guide you.

August 2022 – Farming needs “the brightest and the best”

One of the joys of my 25 years as a consultant has been seeing new people come into the profession and progress their careers. There is, quite rightly, much talk in the farming industry about how we should do more collectively to promote careers in agriculture.

May 2022 – Solving the sibling conundrum

“Fair doesn’t necessarily mean equal” is a phrase I find myself frequently using when discussing succession.

With the value of a farm usually intrinsically tied up in the assets required to run the business, any attempt to release capital by selling assets (in practise, often land) can sometimes undermine the business.

April 2022 – War reminds us of land use priorities

The clue was always in the name.  The Environment Act, which recently became law and sets out the post-Brexit policy framework for farming, was always going to be more about the environment that it was about agriculture.

Watching the terrible scenes unfold in Ukraine over recent weeks has remined us all of how lucky we are in so many ways – but it’s also raising a host of huge questions, and how we use our land is one of them.

CLM Update – Spring 2022

Click here to view the CLM Spring 2022 Update………..

March 2022 – Land prices set to widen between best and rest

Years ago, you knew the land market would get busy as soon as you saw daffodils and lambs, but nowadays it’s a more year-round affair.

There’s also far more land bought and sold off-market than in previous times, especially when it come to viticulture ground – but the arrival of spring still represents a busy time in the calender for conveyancing.

February 2022 – Countryside Stewardship can be “Win Win”

There is now more reason than ever to consider entering a Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme, with the long-awaited revision of rates recently announced.

While Environment Secretary George Eustice’s suggestion that the new payments represent a 30% rise seems a tad optimistic, the figures for many options have increased – and in some cases substantially.

Christmas 2021 – Leasing Set to Grow

Well, what a superb event the Vineyard & Winery Show was – well attended, well organised and with a buoyant, buzzy atmosphere.

It was heartening to see visitors so excited about the future and, while the topics under discussion were varied, one subject came up repeatedly – how the practise of leasing land is likely to become increasingly widespread in the sector.

CLM Update – Winter 2021

Click here to view the CLM Winter 2021 Update………..

November 2021 – Rising Star

Meet one of CLM’s farm and environment consultants – Georgina Wallis……