A powerful tool

Judicaelle Hammond, CLA Director of Policy and Advice, sets out the department’s ambitions for 2022, and why member examples are such a powerful tool

n some respect, 2021 was a game of

Itwo halves. For much of it, the CLA’s policy team was still in ‘Covid-19 mode’: we pushed for support for businesses to be delivered by banks and local authorities, put out advice via our online Covid-19 hub as soon as the roadmap in England and new measures in

Wales were announced, and continued to work with other organisations to push for solutions to emerging developments such as labour shortages and insurance.

At the same time, for a signifi cant part of the year, it was ‘business as usual’ in terms of in uencing government proposals in Westminster and Cardiff .

It looks like Covid-19 may remain a factor for a while, and we will, of course, assist our members with whatever challenge the pandemic throws at their businesses.

However, looking at the bigger picture, many of the themes I wrote about last year will continue to be priorities for my team in 2022.

Take planning reform. In

England, while Michael Gove has pushed the ‘pause’ button on the planning bill, we will continue to press his department to address the failures in the system that led to slow, sclerotic or inappropriate development decisions in the countryside. This is all the more important in the context of both levelling up and nature recovery: no development means no extra housing or IMAGE: ISTOCK jobs, which means no economic growth – and ultimately no money for local businesses to invest in their natural capital. In Wales, our report on rural planning highlights the key reforms required to sustain the rural economy, and we will be pushing Climate Change Minister Julie James to act upon our recommendations. At the time of writing, we are still awaiting many policy announcements that will shape the CLA’s work in 2022: the UK Government’s response to the Landscape Review and associated designation proposals, payment rates for the next tranche of schemes under Environmental Land Management in England, and whatever the Chancellor feels he needs to do to start re-balancing the books in the spending review and budget. In Wales, the Agriculture (Wales) Bill that underpins the

Sustainable Farming Scheme will be the key area of focus for the CLA Cymru team. ebggepcue, For all of these issues, and many others wrote about last besides (such as digital connectivity, grid be priorities upgrades, low-carbon heating, access rights, reviews of capital gains taxes and rm. In business rates, and the public payment ael Gove for public goods schemes and nascent e’ button carbon markets), the CLA will continue to we will develop and promote ideas that work for department our members. es in the Your examples bring the real-world ow, consequences of a proposal to life, so riate thank you if you have responded to ns in CLA surveys, or contacted us following a is magazine or website article. No example nt is too small – many of the CLA’s wins have h been borne out of members’ feedback and the queries we receive. As new policies emerge, we are planning to hold advice events – both online and in person – for CLA members. So, look out for our second series on natural capital, more nd webinars on climate change and climate markets, talks about tax, and events on o agricultural transition and land use.

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