NEWS LETTER

Voluntary Land Registry- Is Your Land Registered?

The Land Registry, the Government body that maintains and develops the register of ownership titles, estimates that at present, the freehold ownership of just over 65 per cent of land in England and Wales has a registered title. This suggests that the proprietors of the other 35 per cent of land are relying on paper copies of deeds to prove their property boundaries. In Gloucestershire alone, the area of unregistered land amounts to 130,408 hectares. Relying on title deeds can be risky, as they can be faded, unclear, subject to wear and tear and are often many years old.

Although registration of title is currently not compulsory until land is sold or mortgaged, making a voluntary application brings many advantages to give you peace of mind. Registration is the ultimate title guarantee; it proves that you own your land. It protects you against claims on your land if someone were to try to encroach on it and it is the most effective way to bring all your legal documentation up to date. There is also the added bonus that your title register can easily be accessed online, reducing the need to store old and often confusing deeds.

To encourage land owners to register, there is currently a 25 % discount on the registration fee available for first time voluntary registration. However, it is unclear how long this promotion will last. There is a general view that land registration will become compulsory in the future and therefore the discount may be withdrawn and charges are likely to increase. The registration fee will depend on the value of your property and varies between £ 40 – £ 690.

Moore Allen & Innocent can help you with the voluntary registration process by establishing whether your property is already registered with the Land Registry, providing Land Registry compliant plans with our digital mapping service and assisting with completion of the registration form

It must be noted that for legal advice, your solicitor should be contacted. For more information on registering your land, please contact Mark Hill or Amy Herring on 01285 648115 or email amy.herring@mooreallen.co.uk

The Campaign for the Farmed Environment and New ELS Options

As first reported in the July 2009 edition of the Agricultural Update, the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) is a voluntary initiative - supported by the NFU, CLA, FWAG and Defra, amongst others - aimed at voluntarily replacing the environmental benefits attained from compulsory set-aside.

One of the biggest ways in which farmers and land managers can support the campaign is by entering, or renewing their existing, Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) scheme agreement and by choosing at least one in-field option.

There are 15 measures within the Campaign, many of which are points eligible for the ELS scheme. In conjunction with this there are several new and amended options available in ELS to offset the loss of being able to utilise management plans for gaining points. A brief summary of new and amended ELS options is as follows:

Further information regarding the Campaign for the Farmed Environment is available online at: www.cfeonline.org.uk, whilst handbooks for the new ELS scheme can be downloaded from www.naturalengland.org.uk

Many ‘ELS1’ agreements, as well as ESA & CSS schemes are due to expire over the next 18 months, (16,000 in 2010) providing the ideal opportunity to review the good and bad from the first scheme and, should you choose to renew, to also support this Campaign in an effort to stave off compulsory set-aside being reintroduced.

Application deadlines to ensure continuity of payment are 2 months prior to the anticipated start date, I.e. an application to replace an agreement expiring on July 31st must be submitted no later than June 1st.

Register for ELS Now and Don’t Miss Out

Have you received a renewal invitation for Entry Level Stewardship scheme (ELS)? If so, the form needs to be completed and returned to minimise delays in renewal and payments, and give you the best chance of receiving the correct paperwork.

Alternatively, with farm profits once again under pressure, if you have not previously entered ELS, now may be the time for a new look at the available schemes and how they can work alongside your current farm business?

Moore Allen & Innocent can assist you with practical farm business advice as well as providing the option of completing a new or renewal application on-line, (which can speed up and simplify the entire process). Contact Stuart Milsom, Paul Oughton or Gemma Dalton on 01285 648 107 for further information.

Rent Reviews – Have You Noticed ?

We can help with all aspects of rent reviews, whether for traditional Agricultural Holdings Act (AHA) tenancies or Farm Business Tenancies (FBT). Agricultural tenancy rent reviews are a highly technical area and legislative regimes differ between FBT and AHA tenancies.

Volatility in income and expenditure has been unprecedented in recent years and very often the best place to start for any review is with the production of a comprehensive farm budget. The agricultural team at Moore Allen & Innocent has a wealth of experience to help you with this, in addition to providing comparable rental evidence from our extensive local knowledge of the rental market.

For professional and objective advice, from initial budgets through to conducting negotiations or even arbitration, contact Chris Graham or Robert Young on 01285 648 103.

2010 Single Payment Entitlement Trading Closes March 29th

The deadline for Single Payment Scheme Entitlement transfers has been set as April 2nd. We currently have several lots of Entitlements available and demand for more. Contact Stuart Milsom or Gemma Dalton on 01285 648 107 for details of the latest availability.

Do You Have Grazing Available Or Are You Looking For More?

We have several clients on our books looking for grassland suitable for mowing and / or grazing. If you have suitable land available, or if you require advice on arranging a grazing agreement in order to protect your own position in terms of NVZ legislation, single payment or inheritance tax, then contact Stuart Milsom or Gemma Dalton on 01285 648 107.

VWH Point to Point – Siddington Sat. March 20th – first race 1.30 pm

For clear, objective and professional advice on these or any other agricultural and rural estate issues please contact one of our Agricultural Team:

Robert Young ~ Mark Hill ~ Christopher Graham ~ Paul Oughton ~ Brian Smith
Peter Kirby ~ Katherine Foot ~ Stuart Milsom ~ Margaret Bush

Tel. 01285 648 113                                                             Fax. 01285 640 494    

This newsletter is produced for guidance only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage can be accepted by Moore Allen & Innocent or other contributors as a result of any person, company or other organisation acting or refraining from acting upon comment on this newsletter.

• Farm & Estate Management • Sales & Purchases of Rural Properties • Valuations • Estate Planning •
• Landlord & Tenant • Farming Agreements • Auctions • Compensation & Compulsory Purchase •
• Farm Buildings • Expert Witness • Planning & Development • Grants & Quotas • Agri-Environment •
• Woodland • Digital Mapping • Diversification • Employment • Payroll & Accounts •

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