In this issue, we summarise the issues relating to the rural sector discussed at the Labour Party conference, the introduction of the Precision Breeding Act, and an update on plans for the Land Use Framework. We also explore preparations for Scotland's new farm support and a proposed new national park in Wales.

FOOD & FARMING

“Tooth and nail” fight for the agricultural budget
Speaking at a Labour Party conference fringe event hosted by the NFU, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner promised he was fighting “tooth and nail” on behalf of farmers over the future agricultural budget. The panel was centred around the question, “How will British farming deliver Labour’s missions?". Tom Bradshaw expressed the need for clarity surrounding the future of agricultural funding, highlighting that many NFU members were unclear “where government policy was taking [them]”. Mr Zeichner said the Labour government had a “passion” to get things right for agriculture and there would continue to be an ongoing dialogue between industry stakeholders and the government.

Elsewhere at the conference, conversations surrounding rural affairs were limited, with winter fuel payments taking the main stage. Steve Reed (Defra Secretary of State) delivered a speech mainly focused on water. In the speech, he spoke about the government’s commitment to improving water quality, referencing the actions of the draft Water (Special Measures) Bill: see our King's Speech briefing note. He mentioned “billions” of pounds worth of private finance for the water sector - in reference to the £88 billion investment that has been guaranteed to build new sewage overflows, reservoirs, and major pipe upgrades. This marks the biggest-ever investment into the water industry and the second-biggest investment from the government so far during its time in office.

Continuing the theme of water quality, the speech mentioned working with farmers to reduce runoff from manure, fertilisers and pesticides entering waterways, and encouraging riparian (riverside) tree planting. The specifics of these actions are yet to be confirmed, but they may serve as a hint to the government's priorities as we approach the budget.

Precision Breeding Act will allow farmers to improve drought and disease resilience
The government has announced secondary legislation to implement the Precision Breeding Act fully will be passed “as soon as parliamentary time allows”. This will mean precision-bred crops, with traits such as increased drought and disease tolerance and pest resistance, can be grown on farms. It is hoped this will reduce the use of pesticides and bring down costs for farmers while reinforcing food security in the face of climate change. In a press release, Defra said trials of precision-grown crops were already underway, giving examples of tomatoes with increased levels of vitamin D and sugar beet that requires less pesticide applications.

The NFU welcomed the secondary legislation, saying although precision breeding was not a “silver bullet,” it was a tool that could contribute to agriculture's net-zero goals and enhance crop productivity in the UK. The Soil Association however did not echo this sentiment, stating the legislation threatened the UK’s ability to trade organic produce. See our Food and the environment Spotlight to learn more about the UK’s precision breeding programme.

The future of BPS in Scotland
The transition to a new agricultural support framework in Scotland from 2027 is underway. Next year is an important step in the transition, as Whole Farm Plans will be required for the Single Application Form submission in May, so preparation should be started soon. The Whole Farm Plan is being introduced so farmers can establish their current performance and identify opportunities for sustainability, productivity, and/or profitability improvements.

The Whole Farm Plan comprises five plans or audits: carbon audit, biodiversity audit, soil sampling of region one land, integrated pest management plan and animal health and welfare plan. To receive their basic payment in 2025, farmers must confirm they have completed at least two of these plans. By 2028, farmers will be required to have all the relevant plans or audits in place. Currently, funding is available for carbon audits, animal health and welfare interventions and soil sampling of region one land through the Preparing for Sustainable Farming scheme. More information on the requirements is available in our briefing note. If you would like to discuss agricultural support in Scotland, please contact Hamish Logan.

POLICY

Land Use Framework set to be published in November
It has been confirmed the long-awaited Land Use Framework will be published in November. The previous government was set to publish the Land Use Framework in 2023, following a commitment as part of the 2022 government food strategy. Baroness Young, the chair of Labour’s Climate and Environment Forum, confirmed the framework's publication, saying she hoped the “multi-functional land use framework would be operationally sustainable and enable landowners and strategic planners to access a wealth of data”.

Labour pledged to introduce a Land Use Framework in its election manifesto, and this has been re-iterated by Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed, who said the framework would form part of the “new deal” for farmers, aiming to balance long-term food security and nature recovery. Whilst we do not know precisely what the Land Use Framework will look like, the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission has developed a model for a multifunctional land use framework, which appeared as a case study in the House of Lords committee report titled “Making the most out of England’s Land”. This model could serve as a blueprint for England’s Framework.

The model is based on six principles: land-led land use decisions, adaptive and resilient land management, local responsiveness, future focus, multifunctionality and continued prosperity. It is a decision-making process rather than a definitive plan. The model aims to create better land use decisions in England, ensuring that new housing is close to public transport links, enough food is grown, rivers are cleaner, flood risks and droughts are managed, nature restoration is carried out, green energy is increased, and carbon sequestered.

Scotland: Third national adaption plan launched
Scotland has launched the third edition of the Scottish National Adaption Plan (SNAP3), outlining its plan for adapting to climate change over the next five years. Consisting of five outcomes: nature connects, community, public services and infrastructure, economy, business and industry, and international action, the plan outlines more than 200 policies and actions to improve Scotland’s climate resilience. SNAP3 draws together a wide variety of existing legislation and policy into one place; whilst few measures are particularly “newsworthy”, it sets out an interesting picture of how Scotland's climate measures all fit together.

For agriculture, it confirms the Scottish government's focus is sustainability. This reinforces the 2022 Vision for Scottish Agriculture’s statement that “half of all agricultural funding will be shifted to deliver for climate change and nature”. It does not, however, forget about the importance of food production and seems to attempt to balance the challenges of land use. This is evident in the confirmation of a Land Use and Agriculture Just Transition Plan (LAJTP) for Scotland, a third Scottish land use strategy, and the continuation of the regional land use partnership initiatives.

ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL CAPITAL

Natural Resources Wales launches consultation on a new national park

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley in northeast Wales have been identified as a potential site for a fourth national park in Wales. The site is already an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, home to dramatic landscapes, ranging from heather moorland to limestone cliffs, iron-age forts, and mountains. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) will run a consultation on the proposal until 16 December 2024.

In light of the proposal, the Welsh government has identified 11 risks and opportunities for the site, reflecting concerns over increased tourism and housing stress as well as conservation and nature recovery. NRW said of the proposal, “If a new national park is established, then it must be able to manage the risks and take advantage of the opportunities available for the betterment of nature, people, and communities”.

Beavers to be reintroduced in Wales
Huw Irranca-Davies, the Deputy First Minister for Wales, has confirmed the Welsh government's support for the managed re-introduction of European beavers in Wales. Historically, beavers were found across Wales but became extinct after the Middle Ages due to overhunting. There are already small populations of beavers in the wild in Wales, but they are not currently protected. According to the statement, the government plans to protect existing and future beaver populations.

Beavers are often heralded for their natural flood management abilities, as their dams create wetlands and reduce sediment flow downstream. Whilst this is good for flood mitigation, it raises concerns amongst landowners about the impact on their land. Considering this, the government plans to engage with rural stakeholders to balance the ecological advantages of reintroduction with their needs and concerns. The reintroduction is largely supported by people in Wales – a survey by the Welsh Wildlife Trust found that of 4,387 people surveyed, 89% supported beavers living wild in Wales. The remaining 11% who did not support re-introduction were found to be involved in agriculture or aquaculture or a member of an agricultural organisation.

PROPERTY & DEVELOPMENT

Brownfield passports – Planning’s express lane
The government has issued a working paper on ‘brownfield passports’. These passports would simplify the planning process for developments on brownfield sites. Under this system, the default response to whether a development should be permitted would be “yes”, dependent on specific requirements such as accessibility, suitability, and compliance. This approach removes unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, making it easier and faster to repurpose previously developed land. The goal is to encourage the revitalisation of these sites, which often lie unused or underutilised, thereby contributing to urban regeneration and reducing the pressure to develop greenfield sites.

While the development proposals would still need to go through the planning approval process, the introduction of the ‘brownfield passport’ is expected to speed up the process significantly. By providing a clear and straightforward pathway for approval, the government hopes to attract more developers to invest in brownfield sites, working towards its goal of building 1.5 million homes in this parliament. The working paper is not being formally consulted upon, but responses are invited to a series of questions.

Historic building conversions could create thousands of homes
A paper from Historic England has identified that 42,000 new homes could be provided by converting redundant textile mills in Yorkshire and Lancashire alone. The report shows the potential of England's unused historic buildings to provide much-needed housing in a sustainable way, stating, “the greenest building is the one that already exists”. Demand for homes in historic buildings is also higher, with properties near a listed building commanding a premium of up to 10%.

Duncan Wilson, CEO of Historic England, said the findings showed that “historic buildings can offer attractive and sustainable living spaces that meet the needs and aspirations of modern homebuyers while retaining their heritage significance and special character”. Considering that the government aims to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament, the potential of historic buildings must not be overlooked, especially in rural settings. Converting historic farm buildings into homes is already common and encouraged by class Q permitted development rights. These rights were expanded earlier this year; see here for more details.

BUSINESS & economy

Farm input costs outstrip general inflation
New analysis by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has revealed that farm input costs have increased, on average, across five different farm types, by 44% between December 2019 and May 2024. An agricultural ‘basket of goods’ was created to calculate this, following the methodology of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The ‘basket’ includes the costs of seed, electricity, fuel, fertiliser, plant protection products, vet fees, feed, machinery, transport, straw, labour, and council tax. Over this period, straw costs doubled and electricity, fertiliser, animal feed and motor fuels increased by 38-40%.

In comparison, the CPI, which tracks changes over time in consumer prices, increased by 24% over the same period—with a 30% increase in food and non-alcoholic drinks. The significant disparity between the rise in farm input costs and consumer prices underscores the immense pressure on farmers. While input costs for essential items like seed, electricity, and animal feed have surged, consumer prices have not risen proportionately.

The AHDB also noted the agricultural support budget has not been increased in line with inflation; while input prices have soared, the budget has remained constant at £2.4 billion. It said to account for inflation, the budget would need to increase by 44% to £3.4 billion.

OTHER RURAL NEWS

And finally… Could burying trees be the answer to carbon storage?
Researchers at the University of Maryland found that a 3,775-year-old red cedar log buried in clay soil had lost less than 5% of its carbon content. The log was found by accident while the scientists were digging a trench to bury fresh wood, part of a study into wood vaulting: the practice of burying wood and capping it with soil to sequester carbon. The log was a fortunate discovery, seamlessly proving what the scientists were trying to show. The study, led by Professor Ning Zeng, revealed that the low-permeability clay soil played a crucial role in preserving the log's carbon content. This finding suggests wood vaulting could be a viable method for long-term carbon storage, as it prevents the decomposition of wood and the subsequent release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Researchers hope to refine wood vaulting techniques to maximise carbon sequestration by understanding the environmental conditions that preserved the ancient log.

If you have queries about any of the articles, please contact us.