Professional AdviceYou are here : In Your Area » South East » Regional News Archive » Equine » CAP Reform
DEFRA clarifies issues regarding Equine Access and the Single Farm Payment Scheme Following pressure from The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and TROT, the Toll Rides (Off-Road) Trust; DEFRA have now amended the guidance to allow for farmers to grant toll rides and claim the SPS payment on eligible land provided that other conditions such as cross compliance, agri-environment scheme or set aside conditions will are met. The publication of the Strategy for the Horse Industry in England and Wales (December 2005) highlights the view held by many horse riders that there is inadequate provision of safe riding. Whilst the debate continues between government and lobbyists, many riders and landowner recognise the need for immediate action and work in partnership to develop Toll Ride schemes to make up for the shortfall in provision.
The publication of the DEFRA guidance (October 05) on non agricultural activities and SPS severely put at risk the future of toll rides, as the provision of a toll ride turned land which was eligible SPS into ineligible land. Farmers were faced with the difficult decision of loss of SPS payment and continuing with the toll ride or terminating the toll ride to gain an income from SPS, and future discussions for new routes were also being jeopardised.
CLA, Access Adviser Caroline Bedell said "The CLA recognised this issue as a major stumbling block, we decided to lobby in association with TROT to persuade the government to amend the guidance, which has been achieved and it is now possible to claim SPS on an area of Toll Ride. There are genuine concerns and issues as to why farmers have difficulty in providing public access and we are glad that in this instance Defra have recognised the issue and acted to rectify the matter".
Leo Hickish, of Batcheller Thacker - an organisation who specialise in advising farmers and landowners on the management of their farms and estates and also on issues regarding diversification, was delighted to hear the announcement that DEFRA had confirmed that riding on permissive bridleways on farmland is now confirmed as a permitted activity under the Single Payment Scheme. He said "There was real concern amongst farmers that entry into the TROT Scheme might create problems for them.
For many farmers the TROT Scheme is a valuable resource both in its own right and in supporting existing equestrian enterprises on the holding, where perhaps the limited existing network of bridleways was restricting business.
DEFRA should be congratulated for showing support to the valuable contribution that TROT makes to riding and carriage driving."
|
Contact Have a problem - need advice? South East Office The Turbine Barn
South East Office Isle of Wight Office
Join the CLA today
The CLA Game Fair 2012
CLA Events in your area
To receive our regular email newsletter containing advice and the latest news affecting the region - contact the office or send your email address and membership number to info.southeast@cla.org.uk |
RSS Feeds
- Policy Topics
- Policy Topics
- Site sections
- Specially for members
© 2012 Country Land and Business Association Limited (CLA). All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the copyright holder except as expressly permitted by law.
Disclaimer
No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action in reliance on or as a result of the material included in or omitted in this website can be or is accepted by the author(s), the CLA or its officers or trustees or employees or any other persons.
The Advisory Services are made available to members on the basis that members' rights to compensation and the liability (if any) of CLA and its officers and/or its staff advisers, are restricted in the following ways. In the event of any advice given by any CLA staff adviser being given negligently or otherwise being incorrect no liability whatsoever is accepted by the CLA or its officers or by its staff advisers concerned
(a) towards any person who is not the current CLA member to whom the advice was directly given,
(b) to any person in the respect of consequential loss or loss of profits, or
(c) to any person for any sum exceeding £50,000 in respect of any one enquiry (whether made or responded to orally or in writing and whether dealt with at one time or over a period of time).
Any person making use of the Advisory Services accepts such restrictions. Members should refer to appropriate professional advisers in private practice before taking any particular course of action potentially or actually involving any substantial amounts of money.
Please note that whilst the advisers are able to advise on a wide range of subjects relating to land ownership, they cannot act in place of a member's own solicitor, accountant, surveyor and tax specialist by, for example, drafting documents or corresponding on their behalf and may be precluded, by the rules of their own professions, from advising one CLA member against another CLA member in the case of conflict.
Solicitors Indemnity Fund . Solicitors in the CLA Legal Team are not covered by the Solicitors Indemnity Fund in relation to professional negligence in relation to any advice given by them.
Please note that from time to time telephone calls maybe recorded for training purposes.