SUMMER NEWSLETTER With the Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship deadline looming on the 31st August, the team are working hard to ensure all of your applications are dealt with at a high standard with the relevant supplementary evidence completed. We have seen a greater uptake in the scheme this year, if you are interested in applying next year or would like some extra information please contact Emily Warin (015395 66227) or Charlotte Ormondroyd (015395 66223) in the office. We have a new face in Professional; Megan Schofield has joined the team, see more about her in our staff profile section featured in this newsletter. ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP – OUTSTANDING 2017
BPS 2019
We are aware that many clients are still awaiting payments for their Stewardship Schemes in relation to the 2017 scheme year. Natural England have recently announced that payments will be made as follows:
On the 30th July, the Government confirmed that BPS 2019 will run as normal on the same basis as 2018, with applications opening in Spring 2019.
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Advance payments, totalling 75% of the claim value will be paid by 15th August 2018 Final payments, totalling 25% of the claim value will be paid by late November 2018
Natural England have now implemented a process for claimants that are in a situation of financial hardship due to the delay in payments. If you are in this situation please do not hesitate to contact one of us in the office.
Planning: CHANGES TO BARN CONVERSION POLICIES Changes from 6th April 2018 include a substantial increase in the area allowed for permitted development of farm building subject to notification. This goes from 465 square metres to 1000 square metres. This will see many new buildings now being subject to notification rather than having to go through a formal planning application process. This new area limit applies in the National Parks. Additionally the conversion of agricultural buildings for residential use is to change: The new rules permit 3 homes of up to 465 square metres each or up to 5 homes of up to 100 sqm each or a mix of the large and small homes limit subject to limits of 3 units up to 465 sqm and 2 smaller homes. It is not known if this replaces the class Q notification or if it is a new right. We would expect it to be an amendment of Q.
HEDGEROWS & BOUNDARIES CAPITAL GRANT SCHEME This was quite popular in 2018, the scheme runs for 2 years and the maximum available grant per application is £10,000. We are aware of some clients already receiving agreement offers, if you have not received one yet don’t panic. Natural England have issued an update that all agreements will be offered by November. We are aware of the information in some agreements being incorrect. Please do not hesitate to contact Emily or Charlotte if you would like them to check over your agreement. If you are thinking of doing any boundary work in this next year or two, please ring the office to register your interest.
BVD FUNDING DEFRA has announced a new £5.7m funding package to assist farmers with cattle herds affected by Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD). The funding is being made available under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) over a three year period and will enable farmers to apply for one-to-one farm advisory visits by a veterinary practitioner. The vets will work with keepers of breeding cattle to tackle BVD on their farms. For more information contact the office on 015395 66222
If it is an amendment of Q it will not apply in National Parks, Scheduled Monuments or AONB’s and other special landscape areas.
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SUMMER NEWSLETTER STAFF PROFILE – Megan Schofield (Placement Student) This is Megan Schofield, currently on a year’s work placement with NWA Professional as part of her studies at Harper Adams University, where she is working towards a degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management. Megan is from Buckden in the Yorkshire Dales and lives on a hill farm with her family, she helps farm the flock of Swaledales and a newly established herd of Belted Galloway cows. In her spare time she does fell running as she particularly enjoys being outdoors. If you see Megan around the Auction please be sure to say hello, she will be very pleased to speak to you. Contact details: 015395 66213
THE FARMER NETWORK Business Support for Young People- A programme for young people in Cumbria or The Yorkshire Dales aged 1830, who are passionate about setting up or developing a farming or farming-related business, but are limited by the resources or opportunities available to them. The scheme comprises of a short course on the basics of business planning, support from an experienced farm business adviser and the chance to apply for a low interest loan and training grant, with ongoing support from a volunteer business mentor. For further information go to: https://www.thefarmernetwork.co.uk/projects/businesssupport-for-young-people/ If you would like advice on the application process, please contact us on: 015395 66222
megan@nwauctions.co.uk
Planning:
Planning: RULES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAVE CHANGED
BARN CONVERSIONS AND PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT (CLASS Q) Class Q of the General Permitted Development Order was originally introduced in 2014 and allowed the conversion of agricultural buildings where: o
Total floor area threshold: 450sqm/4,943sqft for up to 3 dwellings
New regulations came into effect on 6th April 2018: o
Total floor area threshold: 465 sqm / 5,005 sqft for 3 larger dwellings.
or o
Total floor area threshold: 100sqm/1076sqft each for up to 5 smaller dwellings
Affordable housing rules actually changed some time ago but a couple of authorities undertook a legal challenge against the government’s new policy. This challenge has now failed and the new rules are that developments under 10 houses (5 in an AONB) and a total area under 1000 sqm do not attract any sort of affordable housing requirement nor any off-site payment contributions. This means that the land value for such developments is a little higher than for those developments attracting affordable housing on the site. Many authorities will consider small infill sites, rounding off of villages, or even some back land development. If you think you may have an area of land that may be suitable for housing please get in touch.
From this, we interpret that a development of an agricultural unit could contain a maximum of 5 dwellings in total, 3 of which could be floor area up to 465 sqm and an additional two units of 100 sqm each. These rules apply equally to none traditional barns, although some authorities resist this. The restrictions to Q not applying in National Parks or an AONB still are in force. Contact Greg on 015395 66248 to arrange a site visit.
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SUMMER NEWSLETTER NITRATE VULNERABLE ZONES The 2017-2020 NVZ designations have recently been published and now include a large area of South Lancashire, as shown on the map. If you would like to check if you are located within the designation please contact the office on 015395 66222. We can also provide assistance should you need any NVZ records or to look at planning to improve slurry storage.
NEW FARMING RULES FOR WATER Many of you will already be aware of the standardised good farming practices required to help protect water quality however, a new set of guidance notes were released on 2nd April 2018 by DEFRA which included a few new requirements such as: Planning for the application of fertiliser/manure on cultivated land through the use of soil test results (these should be no more than 5 years old at time of application)- The Environment Agency may ask to see proof these during an inspection. For more information go to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rules-for-farmers-and-landmanagers-to-prevent-water-pollution 2018 SHOWS: We will be at our NWA stand at these shows, make sure to come for a chat and a brew! o o
Planning: LAKE DISTRICT PLANNING There is now a requirement for a Heritage Statement with planning applications - a questionnaire type 1 statement, assessing the impact of the proposal on the landscape and any heritage assets (listed buildings and scheduled monuments) close to the application site. Where an application is near listed buildings or conservation areas the heritage requirements go to a phase 2 or 3 report which is much more involved and expensive. We are finding in general that many agricultural applications are only requiring a type 1 report, but listed buildings or farmhouses will make this at least a type 2. NWA Professional can prepare planning applications for agricultural and many other building types and carry out type 1 heritage reports. There is an additional cost which depends on the size and type of building proposed, we can provide a quote for the statement at the same time as a fixed fee quote for an application. Contact Greg on 015395 66248 to arrange a site visit.
Grayrigg Show - Thursday 23rd August Westmorland County show - Thursday 13th September
FOR SALE HIGHER STANWORTH FARM, BOLTON ROAD, WITHNELL, CHORLEY A DETACHED FARMHOUSE, BUILDINGS AND 83.44 ACRES/33.77 HECTARES OF MEADOW AND PASTURE LAND - AVAILABLE IN ONE OR MORE LOTS
………………………………………………………………………………………..... ESKRIGG END WOOD: 1.80 ACRES/0.73 HECTARES OF WOODLAND AND PASTURE AT ESKRIGG END, OLD HUTTON, KENDAL
Please contact us on 015395 66222 for further information
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SUMMER NEWSLETTER SALE RESULTS
THANK YOU
69.40 ACRES/28.08 HECTARES OF LAND, ALONG WITH BARNS AND A HOUSE: HELMSIDE FARM Sold as a whole by public auction for £900,000.
………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21.90 ACRES/8.87 HECTARES OF LAND BEING PART OF GRANDY BARN, KENTMERE. Sold by public auction.
A huge Thank You to those who were among the 500 guests at the Charity Dinner Dance back in February celebrating 200 years of auctioneering. Funds of £20,000 were raised and split equally, to give to the much deserving Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, who offer financial support to farming people in hardship, and the North West Air Ambulance. A great night was had by all, with a fantastic total being achieved!
Lot 1 (farmhouse, barn, 2.98 acres of land) sold for: £340,000, Lot 2 (barn and 0.49 acres) sold for: £130,000, Lot 3 sold for: £42,000, and average of £14,189/acre, Lot 4 sold for £30,000, an average of £9118/acre, Lot 5 (buildings and 4.18 acres of land) sold for:£60,000, Lot 6 sold for: £46,000, an average of £9704/acre and Lot 7 sold for: £22,000, an average of £9704/acre.
………………………………………………………………………………………..... 5.56 ACRES/HECTARES OF PASTURE AND MEADOWLAND FORMALLY PART PF CAPPLERIGG FARM, NEW HUTTON. Sold by public auction for £119,000, £21,400/acre.
CONTACT DETAILS Michael Mashiter: 015395 66214 or 07713 787511 Kathryn Sayce: 015395 66215 or 07976 646035 Greg Gilding: 015395 66248 or 07969 994945 Emily Warin: 015395 66227 or 07973 852813 Charlotte Ormondroyd: 015395 66223 or 07528 026403 Megan Schofield: 015395 66213 We are just one phone call away or a knock on the office door at either of our sites. Our staff are always on hand to help with any query.
General Office Enquiries to Gillian Ellis: 015395 66222
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