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Farming & food Capital Grants scheme already 50% allocated so act quickly (England) Defra has said that just over half of available funds have been allocated to around 5,000 applications.  The round will close to applications when the available funding (£150m) has been committed, so act quickly if you might want to apply.  Funding is […]

Strutt & Parker’s Rural team brings you a roundup of the latest environmental and renewables news and views. Environmental insights from our team Long-term nature agreements – what landowners need to consider (England) As interest grows in Landscape Recovery and similar long-term environmental schemes, land managers are weighing up the opportunities – and the long-term […]

Farming is demanding – physically, mentally, and logistically. But taking just a few moments to think ahead can help prevent serious accidents and keep your team safe. Ahead of Farm Safety Week (21-25 July 2025), here are five practical things you can start doing today: 1. Pause for thought. Before taking action, particularly if it […]

Defra has announced the reopening of its Capital Grants scheme, which provides funding to cover part or all the cost of activities or equipment which will help the environment and support habitat restoration. The scheme had been closed for new applications since November 2024. There are 78 items available through the Capital Grant offer, which […]

Farming & food Confirmation of English Basic Payments for 2026/27 (England) Basic Payments for 2026/27 will be capped at a maximum of £600 per business, a reduction from this year’s cap of £7,200 per business.  The payments will continue to be based on the size of a farm, so a 1,000 acre farm which would […]

The Scottish Government has announced details of a £14m Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS) which opens for applications on 14 July. The FFIS offers grants of up to 100% of the capital costs of eligible investments which are ones that either improve business efficiency and sustainability; protect and enhance the environment; reduce greenhouse gas emissions […]

Water availability is rapidly becoming one of the most critical challenges facing UK farmers and landowners. Climate change is already presenting major difficulties for the agricultural industry. The winter of 2023/24 was among the wettest on record, making crop establishment impossible for many. In stark contrast, spring 2025 was the driest for 50 years and […]

The Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) system for domestic buildings is being overhauled from 16 June 2025, with the aim of producing more accurate and detailed assessments. EPCs for existing houses are calculated using the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RdSAP) – a simplified version of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) used for new builds. This […]

Farming & food Effect on Defra budget less than feared from Spending Review (England)  Reaction to the allocation for farming as been largely positive – it was less bad than was feared and there is feeling that the department did a good job to secure its funding.  Support for sustainable farming and nature recovery will […]

As interest grows in Landscape Recovery and similar long-term environmental schemes, land managers are weighing up the opportunities – and the long-term implications. Landscape Recovery is the most ambitious tier of Defra’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes and involves individuals and groups collaborating to deliver a range of environmental benefits at scale. It is a […]

Farming & food Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates increased for many options (England)  Rates will increase by around 34% for each option, bringing them more in line with rates paid by the Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) schemes but still below them for many options.  The rates had not been increased for […]

The Government is proposing stricter Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the private-rented sector, along with significant reforms to the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) regime. This means landlords are facing a number of potential changes which will require careful planning in terms of what to invest in energy efficiency improvements and when. The proposals may […]