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Farmers in Wales must decide within the coming weeks whether to apply for the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) or remain in the legacy Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). Farming businesses are obliged to notify the Welsh Government of their decision using the annual Single Application Form (SAF). The deadline for submission is 15 May. SFS […]

Farming & food SFI 2026 – more details announced (England)  The Secretary of State Emma Reynolds provided some more details of the ‘reset’ scheme at the NFU Conference.  Key points are: Reaction has been generally positive.  There are however a number of key elements still to confirm, the biggest of which is what the total […]

Farmers now have enough detail to begin preparing for a 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) application. This is an opportunity to look ahead and consider how SFI could support your business in terms of strengthening resilience, de-risking and shaping a farming system that works for you over the long term. SFI 2026 – key changes […]

Failures in nutrient planning, soil testing and yard drainage systems are some of the most common breaches found on farms during Environment Agency inspections, with some form of non-compliance discovered on around half of farms. Alice Johnson, a member of the farming team within Strutt & Parker, says that the EA has been gradually increasing […]

Strutt & Parker’s Energy, Nature and Net Zero team consists of a UK-wide network of industry-leading chartered surveyors, qualified professionals and foresters, who unlock opportunities for landowners and managers within the environmental and energy sector. Updates within these sectors are provided below, with relevant contact information if you wish to discuss them further. Policy, legislation […]

Farming & food Weather expected to remain wet in February but may move to average in March and April (England)  Land managers are becoming increasingly concerned about the long, wet period.  The Financial Times reports that rain has fallen for 32 consecutive days in Reading, where more than 100 global climate scientists recently met , […]

Around 10% of land in England & Wales remains unregistered, according to recent HM Land Registry data.  With succession planning currently high on the agenda for many farming and estate businesses, there is now a growing list of reasons to consider registering land for the first time.  The process of registering land is complex and so is typically carried out […]

Farming & food Agricultural water rules to be simplified (England)  The existing rules will be combined into one set of England‑wide rules which Defra hopes will be easier to understand.  The government is also consulting on changing the rules on sewage sludge spreading on farmland and possibly bringing it under the Environmental Permitting Regulations.  The […]

The Government has revised its timetable for improving the energy efficiency of residential let property and confirmed a lower improvement cost cap than originally proposed. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has confirmed that landlords will still be expected to ensure their property achieves a minimum EPC equivalent to Band C by 1 […]

Farming & food Inheritance tax U-turn as tax-free allowance per person raised to £2.5m from £1m (UK) The change makes a significant difference when combined with the previous amendment to allow allowances to be transferred between spouses.  It means that spouses or civil partners with combined farmland estates worth £5 – 6 m will pay […]

Rural estates are dealing with an increasingly long list of pressures: unpredictable weather patterns, changes to inheritance tax rules, the withdrawal of Basic Payments, increased expectations around environmental delivery, greater regulation and rising operational costs. Taken together, these factors are making it harder to rely on established operating methods and assumptions about revenues. This is […]

The past year has been a testing one for the UK rural sector. For many landowners and rural businesses, it has become clear that maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. Structural pressures – from inheritance tax reform and rising costs to increased regulation and climate change – are unlikely to disappear. Against […]