The CAAV Podcast

This week, we heard Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s final Budget of this Parliament – and likely the final Tory budget for a few years. Much was touted ahead of the Budget, but what has it really delivered? Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the CAAV, has been trawling through the depths of the details to see what lies behind the headline figures.

The Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act, which gained Royal Assent last year, has made amendments to compulsory purchase legislation in England. Rebecca Collins from the CAAV offers a practical guide on some of the most pertinent details. 

Following the Defra secretary’s headline speech at the Oxford Farming Conference in early January – after which an update to the agricultural transition plan was published – Richard Sanders takes a timely look at the latest information on these schemes.  

Richard Sanders, technical and policy adviser to the CAAV, offers a quick refresher and update on the delinking scheme. As many listeners will be aware, as part of the post-Brexit agricultural transition, England is moving to a farming support system of public money for public goods. Basic payment has been gradually declining, to be phased out by 2027. So what does the future hold?

Three years ago, the Agriculture Act gave the CAAV statutory recognition as a professional authority to appoint arbitrators to manage disputes between tenants and landlords. Since then, the council and executive have established the CAAV facilitiating dispute resolution service, and published a range of professional support papers to help in this area. Now, the association has produced a new and comprehensive publication which pulls together many of those threads, to help people avoid disputes with good negotiation, and to manage any unavoidable disputes effectively. We talk with Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the CAAV about what this means for the industry.

In this episode, we talk about increasing demand for designated areas of landscape protection and nature recovery. The Government is committed to protecting 30% of UK land for nature by 2030 and we’re currently some way off that. There has been a raft of new announcements recently relating to increasing the number of protected areas like national parks and SSSIs – so what does this all mean for landowners and farmers? Richard Sanders, technical and policy adviser at the CAAV, joins host Olivia Cooper to find out more.

After several years of development and a 2019 manifesto commitment for England’s residential let sector, the Government has finally introduced the Renters (Reform) Bill into Parliament, saying it could be law by the end of the year. Even so, it has held over several items for later legislation, and full implementation might take some time. So what changes are ahead, and what do they mean for landlords and tenants in future? Rebecca Collins, technical and policy adviser at the CAAV, takes us through the detail.

The Government has just issued its response to the Rock Review, the report of the Tenancy Working Group which was established in January 2022 to consider farm tenants’ access to environmental schemes and markets in England. The group made 74 recommendations to Defra, and the Government’s 95-page response has now been issued. Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the CAAV, sets out the key points, and considers what they mean for the tenanted sector and natural capital markets in the coming years.

In this episode, we take a detailed look at nature markets – a topic that has dominated farming and environmental headlines in recent years. This developing area has the potential to both generate an income for land managers, to mitigate the impact of climate change, and improve our natural environment. But as with any embryonic market, it’s a complex area, so Richard Sanders, technical and policy adviser at the CAAV, joins us to offer a bit of clarity.  

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in daily life, and when it comes to work, generative technologies – those which create images and text – could be incredibly useful. There’s been a lot in the news recently about ChatGPT, and it tends to divide opinion – there are those who are worried it will take their jobs and ultimately threaten humanity, and there are others who merrily use it in their day-to-day work to save time on mundane jobs. So who’s right? Richard Sanders, technical and policy adviser at the CAAV, helps unravel this emotive topic.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered his first Budget – and while there was not a huge amount in there for the farming industry, there are potentially significant changes afoot. That’s because he announced a review of how environmental land management will be treated from a taxation perspective, the potential to limit agricultural property relief on let land, and a big push on encouraging investment. Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the CAAV, picks out the detail and explores the longer-term implications on the rural sector.

The Government has at last revealed its long-awaited response to the mandatory biodiversity net gain consultation from January last year. While the concept has been in the pipeline since the 2019 Spring Statement, voluntary trading has been going on for some time. But now, the requirements will be laid down in law – from November 2023, all developers will have to deliver a 10% net gain in biodiversity, to offset the environmental damage they cause. As with any new legislation, there’s a lot of detail to unpick, so Richard Saunders, technical and policy adviser at the CAAV, explains what it all means.

Defra has finally announced further details about the future environmental schemes in England, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery. These include a plethora of new land management options to mix and match, as well as higher payment rates to encourage farmers to apply. Jeremy Moody explores what these enhanced initiatives and payments mean for farmers, while also considering the decision-making process for optimal financial success. Given that these environmental payments will not replace the loss of Basic Payments for most producers, what is the most profitable way forward?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused enormous upheaval in global energy markets. We are now facing conflicting demands – on the one hand, the nation is seeking to bolster security of supply, while also capping energy costs. On the other, the Government has committed to increasing renewable energy in a bid to reach net zero, all while demand continues to soar. Given the ageing state of the National Grid, Rebecca Collins examines what this all means for rural residents and landowners.

After four months of political uncertainty and an equal number of cabinet reshuffles, the Government wheels are again starting to turn. The backlog of policy is beginning to come through, with Defra secretary Therese Coffey unveiling plans for the new environmental schemes at the CLA conference. Against a background of the fourth financial statement in as many months, Jeremy Moody discusses the economic outlook for farmers and rural businesses.

Devolution has come to fore in recent years, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic and the level of control each part of the United Kingdom has over agricultural and environmental policy. As such, Jeremy Moody takes this opportunity to provide a practical overview of devolution and the different policies being developed in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In this podcast, with the figures from the latest CAAV Agricultural Land Occupation Surveys, Jeremy Moody provides an overview of the state of the tenanted sector.  In particular, he reviews the variety of lengths of FBTs and the reasons for them before considering the opportunities for and threats to the let sector from new policies.

The past fortnight has been one of tremendous turmoil in the UK. As the dust settles, we have a new King, a new Prime Minister, a new Government Cabinet and a hugely uncertain economic outlook. As the Chancellor Kwasi Karteng unveils his mini-budget and the Bank of England attempts to tackle inflation, Jeremy Moody examines the key fiscal changes ahead. He considers the likely outlook for the rural economy, given these changes, as well as the impact of the new emergency energy package.

Energy prices have reached record levels, driven by gas markets, with risks to supplies this winter. This has major implications in terms of cost and availability for rural businesses, with consequences for viability and the economy. Jeremy Moody explores the causes and impact of the current crisis – including the knock-on effect on fertiliser and CO2 production. He considers how European countries are responding, and what steps both government and individuals should be taking to avoid or manage potential power outages this winter.

The Scottish Government is consulting on proposals for its Agriculture Bill intended for 2023, substantially driven by climate change, biodiversity and other environmental objectives.  Jeremy Moody reviews how a new framework of conditional payments would replace the present regime as well as suggested changes to tenancy law.

As Europe sustained a long hot drought of a magnitude not seen since the megadrought of 1540, this podcast reviews some observations and lessons from France, from river flows to fodder crops, effects on the vineyards and crop management, drought stress as bigger threat to trees than forest fires, solar panels competing with woodland as a land use and more.

Following the publication of the Welsh Government’s initial outline for the new Sustainable Farming Scheme, Jeremy Moody talks through the proposals, scheme design and timeframe for change.

Since the Agriculture Act 2020, a tenant or landlord can ask the CAAV President to appoint an arbitrator to resolve many agricultural tenancy disputes. In this podcast, Jeremy Moody outlines the process of application and appointment and what an arbitration involves, including controlling cost.

Following the Queen’s Speech, Jeremy Moody outlines the UK Government’s legislative programme for the coming year and what impact it may have on the professional work of members.

The long-awaited Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 will be implemented on 15th July 2022. The Act will introduce new forms of contracts, replacing Assured Shorthold Tenancies, together with new notice provisions and enhanced safety requirements. In this episode, Rebecca Collins, Policy and Technical Adviser to the CAAV explains the key provisions of the Act and what managing agents need to be aware of.

Jeremy Moody outlines the market consequences of Russia’s war on Ukraine and highlights its impact on the professional work of Valuers.

As Valuers, one of our most important skills is our ability to negotiate. In this episode, Lynne Thomas (also known professionally as Lynne Robson) from True Potential Training shares her insights on how to become effective negotiators and influencers and offers some tips on how to handle difficult conversations.

For information, Lynne’s LinkedIn Profile can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnerobson1/ and her email is Lynne.13@btinternet.com .

Following DEFRA’s announcements this week, Jeremy Moody reviews the proposals for the de-linking of Basic Payment and the Lump Sum Exit Scheme in England.

In this episode, Jeremy Moody brings us up to date with the latest agricultural policy developments across the UK.  With England’s implementation of change now starting the key moral is for farmers to look to their businesses as much of the environmental money will be focused on a small fraction of the land area.

While there is no marketplace for agricultural tenancies, they can still have a significant value to be assessed for compulsory purchase, taxation, and other instances. In this episode, Jeremy Moody reviews the principles of valuing an agricultural tenancy and outlines the two main approaches to valuation – the Profit Rent method and the Special Purchaser basis. He also refers to the statutory framework in Scotland for Relinquishment and Assignation.

Jeremy Moody reviews the challenges placed by the COVID-19 pandemic on food supply chains, labour, processing, transport and energy, and shares his insights on what comes next.

With the government’s ambition to improve the environment and with the passing of the new Environment Act, this podcast explores the new policies for the environment including habitats with biodiversity gain, water quality and air quality.

Significant changes to Scottish agricultural and land use policies are expected as the re-elected Scottish Government faces up to climate and biodiversity issues for the 2024 end of the present period of “Stability and Simplicity”.  In this episode, Jeremy Moody talks about the scale of these changes, the current consultation on the Agricultural Transition Plan and the shape of the Agriculture and Land Use Bill expected in 2023.

With the Welsh Agriculture Bill now in sight, Jeremy Moody talks through its timescales and the next steps for the ending of Basic Payment and the introduction of the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme in Wales.

In this episode we are joined by Gareth Lay, Chairman of the Written Board for the CAAV Examinations. If you are preparing to take the examinations, then tune in as Gareth shares the Written Board’s top ten tips for candidates.

In this episode, Jeremy Moody gives an introductory outline of the main ways in which a landowner can make land available to others who want to farm it, whether using a tenancy, licence or other rights. He reviews the basics of the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and of Farm Business Tenancies, gives a brief introduction to joint ventures and touches on Inheritance Tax and Basic Payment.

In this episode we discuss the CAAV examinations – the demanding two-day practical, written and oral examinations that about 160 probationers sit each year in order to gain Fellowship of the CAAV. We are joined by two examiners, Gareth Lay and Edward Buckland, to explain what’s involved, what does the exams cover and, most importantly, how to best prepare in order to pass.

In this episode, Kate Russell discusses where a career as an Agricultural Valuer can take you and with Mari Sibley, Director of Estates and Legal with Forestry England, and Robin Edwards an Estate Surveyor working for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in Cyprus.

It is only now that the Government can start its domestic programme after 18 months of wrestling with Brexit and Covid-19.  With their elections, Scotland and Wales are also starting new programmes for government. In this podcast, Jeremy Moody reflects on the recent Queen’s Speech to Parliament, the outcome of the Scottish and Welsh elections and outlines the DEFRA consultation on a lump sum exit scheme and delinked payments in England.

In the second episode of this two-part podcast series, the CAAV’s Centenary Scholar, Simon Haley, shares his insights on how valuers and firms can evolve to use new technologies in their businesses. He talks about precision management within the business, the future of the office and the future of the profession.

In the first of a series of two podcast episodes, Simon Haley introduces his CAAV Centenary Scholarship Report on “The Value of New Technologies for the Profession”. He explains what is meant by “new technologies” and why valuers and their clients should be embracing the technological revolution that is taking place right now.

Flossy Freeman-Inglis explains the new all-Wales NVZ rules including what they mean for Welsh farmers, when will they be phased in and how can CAAV members help their clients in handling any business change these new regulations may trigger.

Kate Russell introduces the CAAV’s latest publication on residential tenancies: The Letting and Management of Residential Property in England and discusses the many and varied regulations which now affect the sector.

Compulsory purchase can be a complicated and long drawn-out process, but at its heart is the acquisition of the property by an acquiring authority. Kate Russell of the CAAV discusses how claimants and their advisers can prepare for the acquisition so that the transaction can proceed smoothly and compensation can be paid promptly.

In this episode, Jeremy Moody gives a comprehensive overview of the March 2021 Budget as the Chancellor sets out the government’s plans to manage the economy out of the continuing pandemic, restore public finances and begin to build the future economy with a focus on green growth.

As of the 28th February, 1991 Act tenants will be able to set in motion the procedures for the possible relinquishment and potential assignation of their tenancies under the statutory changes of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016. The legislation has a dual purpose in that it will enable retiring tenants to realise the value of a secure tenancy when relinquished and could stimulate more tenanting opportunities for new entrants to farming. In this episode, Jeremy Moody talks through the statutory provisions and sets out the key points to consider.

Three years after the new Electronic Communications Code came into force, we are starting to see some clarity emerge on how the renewal of agreements for rural telecoms sites should be dealt with. In this podcast, Kate Russell of the CAAV discusses the Upper Tribunal decision in ON Tower v Green and how it can help those dealing with renewals to reach agreement.

Jeremy Moody reviews the government’s new Agricultural Transition Plan which lays out the roadmap for phasing out direct payments (Basic Payment Scheme (BPS)) and phasing in the new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme and productivity schemes. 

Kate Russell reviews recent case law which sheds light on the correct approach to the renewal of telecoms agreements under the Electronic Communications Code in England and Wales.