Your views are shaping rural policy

If you run a diversified business, manage rural land or belong to an underrepresented countryside community, it can be difficult to make your voice heard amongst the constant rising and falling of the political tide. Yet the issues that really matter to your family, property, land and livelihood need a clear route to alert governing bodies and inform future policy.

That's why, earlier this year, we created the CLA Sounding Board. It’s a forum which gives members who may not have the time or capacity to participate in regional committees and boards a straightforward way to share their views.

In this blog, we explore a few of the most recent topics raised with CLA Sounding Board members and show how their feedback has informed practical policy development.

From Avril Roberts, CLA Senior Property and Business Policy Adviser:

Via the CLA Sounding Board, we asked members whether they had sold any residential rented properties following the Renters' Rights Act, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act and proposed changes to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). We wanted to understand whether these policy changes were having a significant impact on the supply of rural rented housing, and on the wider business decisions of our members.

The survey demonstrated that where properties had been sold, the number involved was generally low, and represented a very low proportion of members' overall housing stock. This suggests that while landlords are very concerned about the changes, they are not yet driving significant decisions on how many rental properties our members own.

Results also revealed evidence that some disposals were being driven by the need to meet inheritance tax liabilities, rather than solely concerns about increased regulation.

The findings have helped the CLA develop an understanding between members' intentions, and members' actions – it appears so far that members have not sold properties in significant numbers, although we understand there will be outliers to this.

The Sounding Board feedback will therefore inform a wider housing survey that we plan to run in 2027 to get a more complete picture of our members' private residential housing activities. All the data we receive helps us build tangible lobbying cases to the government, leading to better outcomes for members.

From Harrie Mort, CLA Land Use Policy Adviser for the Environment:

In this CLA Sounding Board survey, we asked members for their perspectives on the UK’s international commitment to conserve 30% of land and seas for biodiversity by 2030. Rural landowners have an important role to play in achieving the UK’s 30by30 commitment, by registering land they manage for biodiversity towards the government’s target.

The survey first asked members if they were aware of 30by30. Next, respondents were asked whether they would consider submitting their land towards the scheme and the reasons for their answer. Finally, to help guide the next steps of 30by30, members were asked whether there was anything that would make them more likely to submit their land.

Of the 92 members who responded to the short survey, around half were aware of the UK’s 30by30 commitment, but only 23% said they were likely to submit land for inclusion. They were primarily motivated by interest in biodiversity goals, access to environmental funding and because they already had land that would qualify. A smaller proportion also saw it as a useful alternative for marginal land.

41% of members said that they were unlikely or highly unlikely to submit their land for 30by30. The most common reasons were scepticism towards the government and government-run environmental schemes (26%), having other priorities for their land like food production (21%) and concern that participation would result in lost land or reduced flexibility (18%).

While enthusiasm for participating in 30by30 was fairly low, the majority of respondents did offer suggestions and factors that would make them consider submitting their land for 30by30. For example, 63% would think about participating if there was dedicated funding, while 55% would think about submitting their land if they had protection from future designation.

These findings are important and have informed the CLA’s feedback to Defra on the 30by30 offer. They show that any successful offer will need to address landowners’ concerns and provide stronger reasons to participate, including appropriate funding and protection for the future.

From Charles Trotman, CLA Senior Economics and Rural Business Adviser:

In the summer, we asked members of the CLA Sounding Board their views on a HM Treasury review into access to banking services. We know this is a key focus for many rural businesses who rely on in-person banking services and we are aware of a number of members who have been critical of branch closures.

The questions we put to the board were based on requests from the banking review and provided us with sufficient data to feed back to the Treasury.

Without the CLA Sounding Board we would not have been able to respond effectively to the consultation.

The results have proved to be crucial because we have raised the concerns directly with banks in our quarterly meetings. The findings have been surprising but encouraging, and it has increased our knowledge and credibility across the board to help us better represent the CLA members and rural communities who rely on services like banks in everyday life.

These examples show how a few minutes spent sharing your experience each month can strengthen and influence our conversations with policymakers.

If you feel that your opinions are not heard in the development of national policy, the CLA Sounding Board is the ideal way for your views to make an impact each month – without the need for in-person discussions or lengthy meetings.