Wiltshire Branch AGM Chairman's Report 2025
Wiltshire Branch Chairman Duncan Sigournay delivers his report ahead of the 2025 AGM.
What a difference year makes. When I penned last year’s report little did any of us know what the new Labour government had in store for the rural sector.
The lead up to the Autumn Budget last year with all the talk of a £22bn black hole and the 24/7 doom-mongering produced a frenzy of activity the likes of which I’d never seen in private practice. I fear a not dissimilar scenario this autumn as the government’s black hole gets bigger. Where will the tax increases fall?
Likewise, the changes to IHT for farmers and landowners felt like a bolt out of the blue. The speed of their introduction gives precious little time for many farmers to plan effectively. The injustice of the reforms was compounded by the obvious flaws in the Treasury’s assessment of the likely impact on the sector and its refusal to meaningfully engage with industry stakeholders.
To make matters worse there then followed the SFI debacle which saw the scheme closed without notice. It has subsequently been opened to some but with an entirely arbitrary cap on the level of claims. Is that a precursor to the next incarnation of SFI?
The CLA has had a particularly vocal year on the lobbying front. Our President Victoria Vyvyan and other office holders have worked tirelessly in seeking to defend the interests of landowners and rural businesses. There is unlikely to be any let up when Gavin Lane takes over the reins in the autumn.
Committee meetings have as ever covered a very broad range of subjects. Needless to say issues around IHT have been high up the agenda and debated at length. We’ve discussed drone policy, rural crime, nationally significant infrastructure projects, Wiltshire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy as well as net zero in agriculture and the land use framework consultation. Most recently we found out about the Western Forest initiative, which will see the first national forest for thirty years.
The committee even discussed the CLA’s new corporate plan and how we could improve awareness to the public and policy makers as to what the CLA stands for. The committee concluded that an expensive rebranding exercise was definitely not the answer.
Anyway, as ever I am very grateful to the committee members who give up so much time for the CLA and have supported me in my role over the last three years.
Finally, a special thanks goes to the Regional Director Ann Maidment and her excellent team who have, as ever, provided immeasurable support and guidance. We are always on the lookout for new committee members. Let us know if you’re interested.