Foot & Mouth, the 2008 recession, Avian Influenza, climate change, Brexit, the carbon net zero ambition, flood risk, drought, the ban of neonics, Blue Tongue and Schmallenberg are a few of the challenges faced by British farming since 2000. What will the next generation of challenges look like? Who is going to pay for 2020? Will the historic and relatively favourable tax regime for landowners be retained, or will recent whispers of an annual raid on the latent value of capital assets be seen as an easy win for the Treasury? 

Farming is challenging and risky and always has been, prices fluctuate and no-one can say for certain what the progeny of the ewes we put to the tup today will be worth in nine months. The relative volatility experienced in recent years however is another threat to profitability.  

Planning Policy can be surprisingly acquiescent to rural development. Planning and the appraisal of a farm or estate for development opportunities can help a business in its development of a war-chest of opportunity to generate an extra-agricultural stream of income that can temper the volatility of farm incomes. Where the economic advantages of a farm / rural diversification scheme are clearly evidenced, they can out-weigh any disadvantages which might otherwise have lead to a refusal in a rural area. 

We can provide you with an appraisal of your business, identify potential avenues for development and take them through to realisation.