WINTER NEWSLETTER “Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat” Hopefully this newsletter should reach you in time to read over the festive period in front of the fire with a warm mince pie. This winter edition provides a further staffing update in readiness for the Basic Payment Scheme window opening, updates with stewardship schemes and rule changes. We hope to see many of our customers at our 200 Year Charity Fundraising Dinner, more information can be found within, it promises to be a fantastic night and tickets are already selling fast. From all of us here we wish you a Happy Christmas & a Prosperous New Year. Energy Performance Certificates
Countryside Stewardship
From the 1st April 2018 there will be a requirement for any properties rented out in the private rented sector to normally have a minimum energy performance rating of E on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Properties include those rented through domestic agricultural tenancy. It will be unlawful to rent a property which breaches the requirement for a minimum E rating, unless there is an applicable exemption. Listed properties, and buildings within a conservation area, will not necessarily be exempt from the requirement to have a valid EPC and it will be up to the owner of a listed building to understand whether or not their property is required to have an EPC; if there is any doubt about whether a property is legally required to have an EPC, advice should be sought from the local trading standards. Holiday lets may not require EPCs, where the landlord can demonstrate that it is furnished holiday accommodation as defined by HMRC and the holidaymaker is not responsible for meeting the energy costs. Holiday cottages are also typically let under a licence to occupy, rather than a tenancy. This type of rental property is, therefore, generally outside of the scope of the Regulations and not required to meet the Minimum Standard. If there are any concerns about whether a property is occupied under a licence or a tenancy, and whether the landlord is subject to the Regulations, legal advice should be sought.The regulations will come into force for new lets and renewals of tenancies with effect from 1st April 2018 and for all existing tenancies on 1st April 2020. A civil penalty of up to £4,000 will be imposed for breaches. For most landlords this will mean that they will no longer be able to rent out a property with a rating of F or G after April 1st 2018. This will affect many Rural Landlords, if you are concerned about this please get in touch on (015395) 66215.
There has recently been an announcement that there are to be 4 new streamlined Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier packages available to farmers from January 2018. The scheme handbook will not be published until January; however, we are informed the packages will be available for: - Arable - Lowland Grazing - Upland - Mixed Farming We are informed that the paperwork will be easier and quicker to complete, with shorter application forms. Unlike the existing Countryside Stewardship, this streamlined package is non-competitive, meaning that all farmers who meet the eligibility requirement can get an agreement. If you are interested in the scheme then please ring the office to register your interest. As an update for those who applied for a Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship Agreement or Water Capital Grant, Natural England have given an update that they are unlikely to be able to offer agreements to all applicants prior to the 1st January 2018. However, agreements will be offered retrospectively and therefore you are required to comply with scheme rules from the 1st January 2018 even though at present the agreement has not been forthcoming. Key Dates 01/12/17 - Sheep Inventory: Please do not forget to complete and return your annual inventory of sheep on the holding as at 1st December. You should remember to record the numbers you submit in your flock register as this is often the basis of sheep inspections. This needs to be returned by the 31st December.
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WINTER NEWSLETTER RPA Mapping Changes
BPS Payment Checks
As mentioned in the Autumn Newsletter, the RPA have been carrying out mapping changes and we have received hundreds of notifications. Emily has been checking through the maps and there are a lot of cases where we believe the alterations to the mapping data are incorrect. Where we feel this alteration may affect your 2017 payment, an RLE 1 form has been sent to the RPA. However, there are countless situations where the changes do not affect your payment, for example a field may have been split into several. As this shouldn’t have an effect on your payment, we decided to wait until the New Year to look at them as we prepare for the 2018 BPS application window.
The RPA has started making 2017 payments. Due to mapping changes that the RPA have been carrying out under the Proactive Land Change Detection, there is a chance that some payments may unfortunately be incorrect. If you think that your payment is incorrect, or would like us to check then please contact either Emily or Charlotte. All they will need to know is the amount you have received and they can check this against the information on the 2017 claim form.
Hedgerow & Boundaries Capital Grant Scheme It has been announced that this grant will be available again in 2018. The funding available has been doubled allowing for £10,000 of work on restoring boundaries. If you are thinking of doing any boundary work over the next two years please contact either Emily or Charlotte. Green Meadows – To Let To let on a short-term farm business tenancy. Green Meadows Bradshaw Lane Greenhalgh, PR4 3HQ A smallholding extending to 2.60 acres/1.05 hectares Tenders for the land must be received by the Agents by no later than 3.00 p.m. on Monday, 15th January, 2018, using the tender form and envelope which is available from the NWA Professional.
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WINTER NEWSLETTER Countryside Stewardship Productivity Scheme
LEADER
The scheme provides funding for projects which improve productivity within the farming and forestry sectors. Successful applications are to increase farm productivity through:
LEADER is a community led scheme that provides funding for projects which create jobs, help businesses and rural communities to grow and develop the rural economy. Applications are processed by Local Action Groups and under the scheme grants are available for:
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The use of robotic equipment to aid crop and livestock production, - Increasing the use of renewable energy produced on farm by improving energy storage and distribution, - More efficient use of livestock slurries, manures and digestate. The grant is for a minimum of £35,000 and covers up to 40% of the cost of the project, meaning the overall cost has to be in excess of £87,500. Please contact the office if you would like any further information on the scheme. Building New Homes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority adopted a new Local Plan in 2016, with one of its main objectives being to increase the supply and range of housing within the National Park. As a result of increased policy flexibility for the conversion of barns and other traditional buildings, there has been a strong uptake in planning applications. The policies allow the ‘roadside’ barns to be converted into housing, holiday cottages or as a place of employment such as a café. However, the barn must be easily accessible and have minimal visual impact on both the building and surrounding area. The Authority is also wanting to see more new build developments with the National Park and therefore the Local Plan has again provided additional flexibility for this to happen. Please contact Greg for further information.
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Increasing farm productivity Supporting micro and small businesses and farm diversification - Boosting rural tourism - Providing cultural and heritage activity - Increasing forestry productivity Grants are for a minimum of £2,500 and are limited to 40% of the projects cost. A few examples of the types of items funding is available for include: robotic scrappers, robotic parlours, automatic cluster flushers, mobile and non-standard crush and badger proof feed troughs. An initial expression of interest is submitted to the Local Auction Group and if successful you are then able to submit a full application. The Cumbria Fells and Dales Local Action Group has 2 rounds for when expressions of interests can be received and the deadline of these rounds are the 16th February 2018 and 28th March 2018. In contrast, the Lancashire Local Action Groups will accept expressions of interest all year round. If you are interested in applying, or would like more information to see if your project would be eligible please contact the office. 200 Year Charity Fundraising Dinner We are on the lookout for raffle prizes for our 200 Year Charity Dinner Dance, if you have anything that could be donated towards part of a prize or a hamper please let us know. We would be very grateful. The dinner is fundraising for RABI and North West Air Ambulance.
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WINTER NEWSLETTER BPS Meetings
Staff Update
With the 2018 BPS application window opening in March, come January we will be starting to think about applications. Kathryn, Emily or Charlotte will be in contact to arrange appointments. If no one has been in touch by the 1st May, please contact the office.
In the Autumn newsletter it was highlighted that Rodney Coward will be retiring from his full-time role with L&K Group and NWA Professional. Rodney will not be available during the month of January, however Emily and Charlotte will be answering his phone and picking up emails during this time. Rodney will be returning in February as a consultant, part-time on flexible hours. If you have any queries please contact us in the office on 015395 66222.
Farming Rules for Water From 2nd April 2018, new rules are to be introduced to help protect water quality, by standardising good farming practices that many farmers are already performing. The new rules will require farmers to keep soil on the land, match nutrients to crop and soil needs and keep livestock, fertilisers and manures out of water. In total there are 8 new rules, with 5 relating to the management of fertilisers and manures and 3 relating to the management of soils.
Congratulations to Emily Warin MRICS FAAV. Emily who joined the team back in September as a Land Agent has recently passed her CAAV exams, qualifying as a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers. If you would like to speak to Emily please contact her on: 07973 852813. 2017 has been a year of milestones, on the 2nd November our own Gillian Ellis, NWA Professional Secretary, celebrated working for the company for 25 years. On the 2nd December, Michael Mashiter had worked for the company for 35 years.
The 5 rules relating to the management of fertilisers and manures are: 1. Planning use of manures and fertilisers 2. Storing organic manures 3. Applying manures or fertilisers 4. Where not to apply organic manures 5. Where not to apply fertiliser Under rule 1, it will be a requirement when applying manures and fertilisers onto cultivated land for you to have a soil test, which must be done at least every 5 years.
Contact Details Michael Mashiter: 015395 66214 or 07713 787511 Kathryn Sayce: 015395 66215 or 07976 646035 Rodney Coward: 015395 66213 or 07717 548966 Greg Gilding: 015395 66248 or 07969 994945 Emily Warin: 015395 66227 or 07973 852813
The 3 rules relating to the management of soils are:
Charlotte Ormondroyd: 015395 66223 or 07528 026403
6. Reasonable precautions to prevent soil erosion 7. Protecting against soil erosion by livestock 8. Position of livestock feeders. Further information can be found at:
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.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farmingrules-for-water-from-april-2018 or contact Emily or Charlotte for more details.
General Office Enquiries to Gillian Ellis: 015395 66222
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