Business Briefing August 2020

[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget]

Welcome to the August 2020 edition of the Farm Consultancy Group Business Briefing Newsletter. In this issue you will find articles on Business structures, Glastir Small Grants, Planning costs, NVZ Rules and many more.

Is Your Business Too Leader-Centric? – Cled Richards (Carmarthen)

Most of our clients are family farms where the business structures are often leader-centric where the principle ‘farmer’ instructs and tells staff what to do and is the key decision maker. This common structure and instructing process may appear to be quick and simple to implement, however it can cause the following issues: Read more…

Glastir Small Grants (Wales) – Huw Thomas (Carmarthen)

The Glastir Small Grants Scheme window has opened on the 27^th of July and will close on the 4^th of September. Eligible businesses can apply for funding for capital works of up to £7,500 for projects specifically designed to improve water quality and reduce the risk of flooding. Read more…

Planning Costs – Charles Holt (Lincoln)

If an appellant wins a planning appeal, and they feel they have been treated badly by the planning authority, then they can apply for an ‘award of costs’. This is, in effect, treated as a separate appeal by the planning inspector. So, you may win the appeal but lose the claim for costs, or you may win both. Read more…

Are You Meeting NVZ Rules? – Emily Wynder (Sherborne)

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) rules are part of cross compliance requirements, inspected by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). NVZ rules must be met to qualify for full payments of: Read more…

Newborn Calves Umbilical Cord Care – Mark Yearsley (Sherborne)

It is imperative that a stockperson does all they can to ensure calves are born in clean, dry environments with fresh, dry bedding. At birth the cord ruptures, disconnecting the dam from the calf. The umbilical tail is left dangling from the calf’s navel where it eventually dries up and falls off. Read more…

Big Potential Tax Savings for Farming Companies? – Gerard Finnan (Sherborne)

A little-known tax relief on Research & Development(R&D) called R&D Tax credits was only claimed by 400 farms in 2018. R & D is defined by HMRC as a scientific or technical advance within a company achieved by overcoming uncertainty that’s not readily obvious to a competent professional. Read more…

What’s the Fertiliser Value of a Grass Ley to an Arable Farmer? – William Waterfield (Andover)

This was a question recently posed on Twitter by a dairy farmer looking to enter an agreement with an arable neighbour. There are many variables including soil type, the crop grown, when the ley is ploughed and the excess winter rainfall. Read more…

AGRICULTURAL OCCUPANCY CONDITIONS and CERTIFICATE OF LAWFUL USE OR DEVELOPMENT – Charles Holt (Lincoln)

Sometimes a planning condition becomes obsolete, or it is not adhered to. Indeed, sometimes a planning permission is not even applied for. One of the ways in which such a situation can become regularized is to apply for a Certificate of Lawful Use or Development. Read more…