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15/07/2010 - Grants for Traditional Farm Buildings
Historic farmsteads and their buildings make a fundamental contribution to landscape character and local distinctiveness. This is because their varied character, like the patterns of settlement and landscapes around them, has been shaped by centuries of change and cultural traditions. It is apparent however that cost of upkeep and suitability for modern day agriculture are key factors when considering how to manage traditional farm buildings.
A way that is drawing upon much attention at the moment is the grant rates that are currently available from Natural England. Natural England is an independent public body whose purpose is to protect and improve England’s natural environment and encourage people to enjoy and get involved in their surroundings.
Prior to the recent change in government grants for restoration of traditional farm building restoration was available if you were in the following Natural England Schemes:
• Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme - introduced in 1987 - Now Closed
• Countryside Stewardship Scheme - introduced in 1991 - Now Closed
• Higher Level Stewardship Scheme - introduced in 2005 - Open
For farmers and land owners in the above three agreements grants of 80% were available. However since the recent change in government budget reductions have been announced for capital works funding in current HLS, ESA and CSS schemes.
This budget reduction only impacts on the ability to add in new capital works to existing agreements that will result in a claim submission by March 2011. It does not however impact on:
• annual revenue payments for existing agreements
• capital works that are already in agreement
• annual payments for new HLS agreements that we set up this yea
• capital works added to agreements for claiming after March 2011
• existing Entry Level Scheme agreements or new UELS / ELS applications
Currently therefore 80% grant funding for restoration of traditional farm buildings can only be obtained through entering into a new Higher Level Stewardship Scheme.
Higher Level Stewardship is open to all farmers and land managers. The scheme funds the delivery of environmental benefits through agriculture and aims to conserve wildlife, maintain and enhance landscape quality and character, protect natural resources, and promote public access to the countryside.
Building restorations funded through HLS schemes are not confined to traditional farm buildings. Other buildings of historic significance can be considered, for example industrial or military buildings, such as mining structures and World War II pillboxes
Edwin Thompson therefore advise farmers and land owners who feel they are eligible to take advantage of the funding available through Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agri-environment scheme, to get in touch with either the Carlisle or Berwick office for more detail and information.
28/05/2010 - Woodland Management and Improvement Grants.
Over the past year and a half we have seen substantial changes in the available grants for all types of woodland management under the English Woodland Grant Scheme. These grants range from the Woodland Planning Grant, aiding with the cost of writing a long term, sustainable forest plan to the improvement of woodland habitats for various avian and mammalian species.
The woodland improvement grant has been altered to provide funding for woodland management that may not be financially sustainable to conserve various British bird species including the lesser spotted Woodpecker, Spotted Fly Catchers and Willow Tits which have declined by more than 50% since the late 1960’s. Funding can be sought for the thinning of existing plantations, the fencing of existing plantations to encourage further shrub led growth and the creation of standing dead wood and provision of nesting sites. These grants can be applied for where existing Woodland Improvement Grants are held or where there has been no management over recent years.
Edwin Thompson has submitted various grant applications on all scales to capitalise on this grant and can serve these important species throughout the whole of the North of England.
The Woodland Creation Grants have also been revamped and there is still a substantial under spend within this grant budget of which can be applied for on any land ranging from a mere 1 hectare to an area which has no upper limit. If the proposed woodland creation is within a National Park, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an area of Urban Fringe or an area where Woodland Birds have declined further grant aid can be sought with a maximum of £3,800 per hectare for creation of woodland. There is also the option to claim farm Woodland Premium Payments as compensation for last loss of agricultural land and the Single Farm Payment can also now be claimed on areas of land which have been planted since 2008.
15/04/2010 - Upland Entry Level Stewardship (UELS).
The new Upland Entry Level Stewardship (UELS) was recently launched by Natural England and DEFRA to replace the existing Hill Farm Allowance, which finishes this year. UELS is an environment based subsidy aimed at rewarding farmers in Severely Disadvantaged Areas (SDAs) for protecting the upland environment and wildlife, whilst also continuing food production.
UELS is available for farmers occupying land within SDAs as long as there is no existing ESA or CSS agreement on that land. If there are existing agreements, you could be eligible for the Uplands Transitional Payment (UTP).
The payment rates for UELS are higher than those under the ELS in order to reflect the challenges faced by upland farmers. UELS operates in the same way as ELS and OELS in that is a points based system and agreements will run for 5 years. To qualify for an UELS, applicants must reach (and slightly exceed) the following points targets:
• Parcels below the Moorland line must have the equivalent of 62 points per ha
• Parcels above the Moorland line less than 15 ha must have the equivalent of 62 points per ha
• Parcels above the Moorland line 15ha or more must have the equivalent of 23 points per ha.
• Land which is organic will receive an additional £30 per ha for parcels less than 15ha above the Moorland line and for land below the Moorland line.
The points target will be reached by meeting a set of compulsory requirements (worth 15 points per ha) depending on the category of land and by selecting a range of options suitable to your land. The options can be chosen from the ELS and OELS options and from a new range of options devised for the UELS.
As with ELS and OELS, the points targets directly transfer into payment rates, so that if the 62 points per ha target is met, then a payment of £62 per ha per year will be made. The payments will be made in the same way as with ELS and OELS, every six months in arrears.
Farmers can apply for a UELS now, with the first agreements starting on 1st July 2010. Edwin Thompson can offer advice on how to complete an UELS, or can complete the application for you. For more information contact Mary-Jane Fleming or Patrick Playfair at the Berwick office, telephone 01289 304432.
01/03/2010 - Business Rates Looking ahead to the 2010 Business Rates Revaluation
Revised Rateable Values (RVs) for non-domestic properties in Scotland are due to be issued in the next few weeks, when Valuation Notices are sent out following the 2010 Rating Revaluation.
Rateable Values are adjusted every five years and come into effect on 01 April this year. It would appear that many sectors of the market will be subject to significant increases. The statutory basis for assessment of the revised 2010 Rateable Value is rental value as at April 2008 unless there has been a ‘material change of circumstances’.
The total rates revenue to the government is around £2.57 billion and the Scottish Government review the multiplier, known as the Uniform Business Rate (UBR), required to generate this level of tax on an annual basis. In November 2009 the UBR was set at £0.407 for 2010/11 (from £0.481 2009/10) for properties with an RV below £29,000 and £0.414 for 2010/11 (from £0.485 2009/10) for properties with an RV of£29,001 or above.
Following previous revaluations there has been transitional relief to cushion the impact on businesses hit with significant increases. However, the Scottish Government has abolished transitional relief in Scotland arguing that the reduction in the UBR will soften the impact of any increases, despite the Government south of the border setting the same UBR and retaining transitional relief.
There is an opportunity to appeal against the revised rateable value within six months of receipt of the valuation notice informing businesses of their revised value up to a deadline of 30 September 2010.
We can advise on potential savings and assist with the appeal.
Please contact Simon Sanderson or Hugh Jones at our Galashiels Office (01896 751300) or Nick Green at our Berwick Office (01289 304432) to discuss the options.
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22/12/2009 - RICS Housing Market Forecast - December 2009
UK Housing Market: Battling The Headwinds
The housing market has come through the past year in rather better shape than might have been expected in the wake of both the turmoil in financial markets and the subsequent sharp contraction in the economy. Nevertheless,significant challenges relating both to the macro environment and property market dynamics remain.
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19/11/2009 - BORDERS PROPERTY OVERVIEW
HOME BUYERS’ CONFIDENCE – UP
HOUSE SALES – UP
PROPERTY PRICES - ?
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