Lydney Park, Lydney, Gloucestershire GL15 6BU
Thursday 19 April 2012 - 2pm –5.30pm
Cost: £15 CLA members; £25 non-members
Sponsored by Smiths Gore
The Lydney Park Estate was acquired by Benjamin Bathurst in 1719 and has been in the Bathurst family ever since. In 1935 Charles Bathurst was created Viscount Bledisloe for his services as Governor-General of New Zealand. The Estate is now home to the 4th Viscount Bledisloe and his family.
The Estate extends to approximately 3500 acres with around 1200 acres of mixed woodland managed under FSC guidelines. Elsewhere on the Estate there is a substantial in-hand dairy farm, a high quality pheasant shoot, together with a mixed portfolio of let residential, commercial and agricultural property. The Lydney Park Spring Gardens and Roman remains are open during the period Easter to early June.
The woodland lies 2-3 miles to the south of the Forest of Dean and is planted with a mix of softwoods and hardwoods, both providing excellent quality timber. Although run commercially the Estate woodland is multi-purpose and is managed for timber production, sporting interest, amenity and conservation. 356 acres are designated as Ancient Semi Natural woodland and there is a 43 acre SSSI which is also designated as a Special Area for Conservation, as it is a nationally important site for hibernating lesser horseshoe bats.
The Estate has a thriving sawmill supplying mainly home grown timber to local contractors. Products include fencing stakes, posts, panels, sawn green oak and the sawmill also supplies local demand for firewood.
The afternoon will begin with an introduction to the Lydney Park Estate woodland from Smiths Gore’s Marc Liebrecht.
Mike Seville, the CLA’s National Forestry & Woodlands Advisor, will explain the impact of the newly published guidance by the National Tree Safety Group "Bringing Common Sense to Tree Management".
This guidance is trying to redraw the legal landscape relating to tree safety and put it firmly in the context of the real risk which trees pose to individuals and to society and to balance this against the benefits trees deliver. The CLA has been instrumental in driving this approach forward.
The Duchy of Cornwall’s forestry expert, Geraint Richards, will share his practical experience of woodland management along with his views on the current timber market and this will be followed by a tree disease update and forecast from the new South West Regional Director of the Forestry Commission, Brendan Callaghan.
The event will close with Graham Clark, CLA Regional Surveyor; explaining how members can benefit from the new Renewable Heat Incentive.
This event is not only aimed at large woodland owners and managers but also those responsible for smaller numbers of trees where members are concerned about how proactive they need to be in regards tree safety management in order to mitigate their liability to third parties.
There will be an opportunity to explore the Deer Park and Woodland Spring garden after the seminar.
To book on line www.regonline.co.uk/claswevents
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Access - A Practical Update
Holbrook House, Wincanton, Somerset BA9 8BS
Tuesday 27 March 2012 - 4pm-7pm
Cost: CLA members £17; Non-members £30
A CLA and Dyne Drewett seminar on public access to land with three of the leading specialists in the field:
• Sarah Slade – Chartered Surveyor and the CLA National Access Adviser
• Dr Karen Jones – Barrister with Tanfield Chambers and former head of the CLA legal department
• Jonathan Cheal – Solicitor and Partner with Dyne Drewett and President of the CLA Somerset branch
Public access continues to raise issues which landowners must ensure they understand and put in place appropriate measures to enable them to manage access successfully on their land.
Coastal Access, with its questions on spreading room and liability; the need for reforms to the Animals Act; controversial legislation relating to village greens and pressures to include ancient or disused Rights of Way on the Definitive Map, are all currently presenting challenges for land owners and managers. At the same time, Government proposals for improving rights of way based on the Stepping Forward report are being developed which means that the policy agenda is also changing.
Our three speakers are leading figures in the access debate and bring a wealth of knowledge, specialism and practical experience to the table. They will discuss:
• How to react when there is a threat to your land
• How best to prevent rights arising
and
• How to manage the access you have
To book on line www.regonline.co.uk/claswevents
Tuesday 27 March 2012 - 4pm-7pm
Cost: CLA members £17; Non-members £30
A CLA and Dyne Drewett seminar on public access to land with three of the leading specialists in the field:
• Sarah Slade – Chartered Surveyor and the CLA National Access Adviser
• Dr Karen Jones – Barrister with Tanfield Chambers and former head of the CLA legal department
• Jonathan Cheal – Solicitor and Partner with Dyne Drewett and President of the CLA Somerset branch
Public access continues to raise issues which landowners must ensure they understand and put in place appropriate measures to enable them to manage access successfully on their land.
Coastal Access, with its questions on spreading room and liability; the need for reforms to the Animals Act; controversial legislation relating to village greens and pressures to include ancient or disused Rights of Way on the Definitive Map, are all currently presenting challenges for land owners and managers. At the same time, Government proposals for improving rights of way based on the Stepping Forward report are being developed which means that the policy agenda is also changing.
Our three speakers are leading figures in the access debate and bring a wealth of knowledge, specialism and practical experience to the table. They will discuss:
• How to react when there is a threat to your land
• How best to prevent rights arising
and
• How to manage the access you have
To book on line www.regonline.co.uk/claswevents
Event - Making The Big House Pay
Crowcombe Court, Crowcombe, Somerset, TA4 4AD
Tuesday 20 March 2012 - 10am – 4pm
Cost: CLA members £17; Non-members £30
Sponsored by Knight Frank, Smith & Williamson & Wilsons
Whether its art or animals, weddings or weekend guests – the question of how to make money from the Manor House has been testing inventive minds of landowners and their advisers for decades.
This event will showcase the ideas, expertise, trials and tribulations of those who have secured the financial future of their family homes, complimented by professional advice on all practical aspects from planning to marketing.
The event will be chaired by the former general manager of Longleat, Tim Moore, and has attracted a top team of speakers including Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle – the film location of Downton Abbey – Sarah Eastel who runs a locations and film locations agency, Norman Hudson of the Historic Houses Association and author of the manual Film and Photography for Historic Houses and Garden, Caroline Lowsley-Williams, from Chavenage, who will speak about using a house as a wedding venue or conference centre
and Simon Foster who has been responsible for marketing many successful enterprises including Eastnor Castle.
The event is being held at Crowcombe Court a magnificent English Baroque style house which was built in the 1730s which is a working example of “Making the Big House Pay.” New owners David and Kate Kenyon come from marketing and event management backgrounds and, although they have only recently taken over the house, they are confident they can turn it around and make a successful business, bring money and work into the local area and create a home for their family. The couple are planning to host shooting parties, weddings, and private dinner parties. David will talk about the experiences of setting the business up and of their aspirations for the future.
To book on line www.regonline.co.uk/claswevents
Tuesday 20 March 2012 - 10am – 4pm
Cost: CLA members £17; Non-members £30
Sponsored by Knight Frank, Smith & Williamson & Wilsons
Whether its art or animals, weddings or weekend guests – the question of how to make money from the Manor House has been testing inventive minds of landowners and their advisers for decades.
This event will showcase the ideas, expertise, trials and tribulations of those who have secured the financial future of their family homes, complimented by professional advice on all practical aspects from planning to marketing.
The event will be chaired by the former general manager of Longleat, Tim Moore, and has attracted a top team of speakers including Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle – the film location of Downton Abbey – Sarah Eastel who runs a locations and film locations agency, Norman Hudson of the Historic Houses Association and author of the manual Film and Photography for Historic Houses and Garden, Caroline Lowsley-Williams, from Chavenage, who will speak about using a house as a wedding venue or conference centre
and Simon Foster who has been responsible for marketing many successful enterprises including Eastnor Castle.
The event is being held at Crowcombe Court a magnificent English Baroque style house which was built in the 1730s which is a working example of “Making the Big House Pay.” New owners David and Kate Kenyon come from marketing and event management backgrounds and, although they have only recently taken over the house, they are confident they can turn it around and make a successful business, bring money and work into the local area and create a home for their family. The couple are planning to host shooting parties, weddings, and private dinner parties. David will talk about the experiences of setting the business up and of their aspirations for the future.
To book on line www.regonline.co.uk/claswevents
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Gloucestershire farmer is new CLA Deputy President
Gloucestershire landowner Henry Robinson has been elected Deputy President of the 35,000-strong Country Land and Business Association.
Mr Robinson, the Association’s former Vice-President, was elected Deputy to the CLA’s new president, Harry Cotterell, at the Association’s annual meeting in London last week.
Mr Cotterell owns and manages a 1,600-acre traditional family estate in Herefordshire. The mainly arable farming operation is all “in hand” growing wheat and oilseed rape but recently planted cider orchards produce up to 10,000 tonnes of apples a year. There is also a commercial forestry operation covering 700 acres and the farm provides one million chickens per year and 25,000lbs of mushrooms a week for a supermarket chain.
Mr Cotterell, who has been CLA Deputy President since 2009, will serve as President for two years. He said: “I am honoured to have been chosen to lead the Association and am looking forward to the challenges ahead such as CAP reform, planning reform and the Water White Paper. “
Mr Robinson says, he is committed to rural life in Gloucestershire where he has farmed since 1978. He has been chair of the county’s Rural Issues Task Force, a member of Gloucestershire First and the Rural Economic Advisory Panel; a Parish Councillor and school Governor and he remains a Deputy-Lieutenant for the County. He says he farms, manages, and generally enjoys the land, cottages, workshops and woodlands that make up the family farm near Cirencester.
He has been Chairman of the CLA’s Gloucestershire Branch, represented the South West on the CLA Council, and chaired the national Business and Rural Economy and the Environment Sub-Committees.
Mr Robinson said it was a great privilege to be asked to serve an organisation which campaigned so actively for the rural economy and which was the only organisation speaking up for property rights and land ownership.
“The challenges facing the countryside are many and various - but one of the very greatest will be the question of how to protect and enhance the landscape and environment while still producing food for a world with seven billion people in it.
“Closer to home, we are very engaged with the debate on the National Planning Policy Framework and how planning needs to change in order to encourage rural business and allow it to flourish. The CLA has been – and will continue - to campaign for high speed Broadband for all rural areas and appropriate renewable energy on farms.”
.
Ends
Mr Robinson, the Association’s former Vice-President, was elected Deputy to the CLA’s new president, Harry Cotterell, at the Association’s annual meeting in London last week.
Mr Cotterell owns and manages a 1,600-acre traditional family estate in Herefordshire. The mainly arable farming operation is all “in hand” growing wheat and oilseed rape but recently planted cider orchards produce up to 10,000 tonnes of apples a year. There is also a commercial forestry operation covering 700 acres and the farm provides one million chickens per year and 25,000lbs of mushrooms a week for a supermarket chain.
Mr Cotterell, who has been CLA Deputy President since 2009, will serve as President for two years. He said: “I am honoured to have been chosen to lead the Association and am looking forward to the challenges ahead such as CAP reform, planning reform and the Water White Paper. “
Mr Robinson says, he is committed to rural life in Gloucestershire where he has farmed since 1978. He has been chair of the county’s Rural Issues Task Force, a member of Gloucestershire First and the Rural Economic Advisory Panel; a Parish Councillor and school Governor and he remains a Deputy-Lieutenant for the County. He says he farms, manages, and generally enjoys the land, cottages, workshops and woodlands that make up the family farm near Cirencester.
He has been Chairman of the CLA’s Gloucestershire Branch, represented the South West on the CLA Council, and chaired the national Business and Rural Economy and the Environment Sub-Committees.
Mr Robinson said it was a great privilege to be asked to serve an organisation which campaigned so actively for the rural economy and which was the only organisation speaking up for property rights and land ownership.
“The challenges facing the countryside are many and various - but one of the very greatest will be the question of how to protect and enhance the landscape and environment while still producing food for a world with seven billion people in it.
“Closer to home, we are very engaged with the debate on the National Planning Policy Framework and how planning needs to change in order to encourage rural business and allow it to flourish. The CLA has been – and will continue - to campaign for high speed Broadband for all rural areas and appropriate renewable energy on farms.”
.
Ends
CLA Backs Attempt to Scrap the Cash
The theft of metal from farms and rural businesses has grown to epidemic proportions according to South West landowners who have now thrown their weight behind a Private Member’s Bill which will attempt to block the sale of stolen metal.
“Scrap metal is currently big business – and its no longer restricted to the theft of lead from the Church roof, now its overhead cables, copper of all kinds – which affect the telecommunications and electricity supply industries - and even barbed wire and other fencing has been stripped out for the value of the scrap,” said CLA South West Director, John Mortimer.
Lancashire MP, Graham Jones, will today (Tuesday 16 November) bring his “Metal Theft (Protection) Bill” before the House of Commons next week – and the CLA says it offers a solution to the problem.
Mr Jones says that the reason this type of crime is flourishing is because the regulatory framework surrounding metal recycling is so weak and that - in combination with the soaring international price of metal –effectively creates an incentive to steal.
“Farm yards and rural businesses have always been a prime target for thefts and landowners are currently suffering an epidemic of metal theft. Mr Jones’s proposed changes to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 and his other proposals are essential if this blight is to be ended quickly and effectively,” said Mr Mortimer.
Mr Jones’s Metal (Protection) Bill proposes six changes:
• Amend the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 and replace the current registration scheme with a robust licensing regime, with scrap metal dealers paying a licence fee to fund the regulation of the licence.
• Allow property obtained through theft to be regarded as criminal assets; that would allow the provisions in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to apply.
• Grant police authorities the power to search and investigate all premises owned and operated by a scrap metal dealer, and to close scrap metal dealers where criminally obtained materials are discovered.
• Restrict the trade in scrap metals to cashless payments, and introduce a requirement that scrap metal must not be sold or processed until payments have been cleared. Photo identification and CCTV should be mandatory to identify sellers of scrap and their vehicles.
• Magistrates should have powers to add licence restrictions and prevent closed yards from re-opening.
• Amend The Theft Act and related Acts so that suspects caught should be charged and if found guilty, sentenced in such a way that is proportionate to the consequences of the crime, not the scrap metal value.
“The true cost of the theft is more than simply the value of the items taken due to lost production time, repairing damage caused, livestock straying due to gates left open or fencing taken down so we support this effort to bring about a change in the law,” said Mr Mortimer.
“Scrap metal is currently big business – and its no longer restricted to the theft of lead from the Church roof, now its overhead cables, copper of all kinds – which affect the telecommunications and electricity supply industries - and even barbed wire and other fencing has been stripped out for the value of the scrap,” said CLA South West Director, John Mortimer.
Lancashire MP, Graham Jones, will today (Tuesday 16 November) bring his “Metal Theft (Protection) Bill” before the House of Commons next week – and the CLA says it offers a solution to the problem.
Mr Jones says that the reason this type of crime is flourishing is because the regulatory framework surrounding metal recycling is so weak and that - in combination with the soaring international price of metal –effectively creates an incentive to steal.
“Farm yards and rural businesses have always been a prime target for thefts and landowners are currently suffering an epidemic of metal theft. Mr Jones’s proposed changes to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 and his other proposals are essential if this blight is to be ended quickly and effectively,” said Mr Mortimer.
Mr Jones’s Metal (Protection) Bill proposes six changes:
• Amend the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 and replace the current registration scheme with a robust licensing regime, with scrap metal dealers paying a licence fee to fund the regulation of the licence.
• Allow property obtained through theft to be regarded as criminal assets; that would allow the provisions in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to apply.
• Grant police authorities the power to search and investigate all premises owned and operated by a scrap metal dealer, and to close scrap metal dealers where criminally obtained materials are discovered.
• Restrict the trade in scrap metals to cashless payments, and introduce a requirement that scrap metal must not be sold or processed until payments have been cleared. Photo identification and CCTV should be mandatory to identify sellers of scrap and their vehicles.
• Magistrates should have powers to add licence restrictions and prevent closed yards from re-opening.
• Amend The Theft Act and related Acts so that suspects caught should be charged and if found guilty, sentenced in such a way that is proportionate to the consequences of the crime, not the scrap metal value.
“The true cost of the theft is more than simply the value of the items taken due to lost production time, repairing damage caused, livestock straying due to gates left open or fencing taken down so we support this effort to bring about a change in the law,” said Mr Mortimer.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Downton Star Joins CLA “Can’t Get Online” Campaign
Rural Champions, the CLA, have launched a campaign designed to highlight the problems of rural areas still struggling to access broadband.
The campaign is a counter balance to the Government’s week-long promotion encouraging people to get online, and is timed to coincide with it - the CLA’s: ‘Can’t Get Online’ week runs from 30 October to 6 November. The Association’s aim is to ensure that every rural business and household can access a broadband connection of at least five megabits per second.
The problem, according to CLA experts, is that a fifth of rural England still cannot access even modest broadband speeds.
The campaign has already won the backing of Downton Abbey star, Hugh Bonneville, who plays the Earl of Grantham in ITV1’s popular period drama. Hugh lives in a village just 40 miles outside London but he says the broadband connection is “pretty pathetic” and wants infrastructure companies to give the countryside a chance.
He said: “I'd love to run aspects of my work from home; I'd love to sign up for services that stream content but the connection's just too unreliable. Some days I can't even send an email and there doesn’t seem to be much I can do about it.”
The week-long ‘Can’t Get Online’ roadshow, which is sponsored by the CLA, will see IT and social media expert, John Popham, touring rural communities across England to highlight the difficulties they face in getting online. He will be encouraging people with inadequate or non-existent broadband to find a friend with a broadband connection and sign the CLA petition calling for a minimum universal service commitment of 5 megabytes.
CLA South West director, John Mortimer, said: “In today’s world it is just not acceptable that broadband providers can choose to ignore rural areas. The Government wants us to fill in tax returns online because it’s more cost-effective and schools expect children to do homework online. This is only possible if homes and businesses have access to superfast broadband - internet service providers must be persuaded to bring broadband ‘not-spots’ up to speed rather than making the already fast even faster.”
People can sign the CLA petition at http://www.cla.org.uk/Policy_Work/Petitions/
Anybody who cannot access the petition can call the CLA regional office and leave their details to be added to the petition. The CLA in the South West can be contacted on
01249 700200.
Notes:
• Up to 20 percent of rural areas are still unable to receive an effective and affordable broadband connection.
• Up to 35 percent have no access to superfast broadband.
• Over 100,000 rural businesses do not have a broadband connection, leading to a clear rural-urban digital divide.
• Average broadband speeds in the UK are 6.2Mbps. But rural areas are lucky if they can receive 500kbps.
For further information on this news release contact:
Paul Millard CLA SW Communications Manager on 01380 830179
For further information on the CLA go to: www.cla.org.uk
The campaign is a counter balance to the Government’s week-long promotion encouraging people to get online, and is timed to coincide with it - the CLA’s: ‘Can’t Get Online’ week runs from 30 October to 6 November. The Association’s aim is to ensure that every rural business and household can access a broadband connection of at least five megabits per second.
The problem, according to CLA experts, is that a fifth of rural England still cannot access even modest broadband speeds.
The campaign has already won the backing of Downton Abbey star, Hugh Bonneville, who plays the Earl of Grantham in ITV1’s popular period drama. Hugh lives in a village just 40 miles outside London but he says the broadband connection is “pretty pathetic” and wants infrastructure companies to give the countryside a chance.
He said: “I'd love to run aspects of my work from home; I'd love to sign up for services that stream content but the connection's just too unreliable. Some days I can't even send an email and there doesn’t seem to be much I can do about it.”
The week-long ‘Can’t Get Online’ roadshow, which is sponsored by the CLA, will see IT and social media expert, John Popham, touring rural communities across England to highlight the difficulties they face in getting online. He will be encouraging people with inadequate or non-existent broadband to find a friend with a broadband connection and sign the CLA petition calling for a minimum universal service commitment of 5 megabytes.
CLA South West director, John Mortimer, said: “In today’s world it is just not acceptable that broadband providers can choose to ignore rural areas. The Government wants us to fill in tax returns online because it’s more cost-effective and schools expect children to do homework online. This is only possible if homes and businesses have access to superfast broadband - internet service providers must be persuaded to bring broadband ‘not-spots’ up to speed rather than making the already fast even faster.”
People can sign the CLA petition at http://www.cla.org.uk/Policy_Work/Petitions/
Anybody who cannot access the petition can call the CLA regional office and leave their details to be added to the petition. The CLA in the South West can be contacted on
01249 700200.
Notes:
• Up to 20 percent of rural areas are still unable to receive an effective and affordable broadband connection.
• Up to 35 percent have no access to superfast broadband.
• Over 100,000 rural businesses do not have a broadband connection, leading to a clear rural-urban digital divide.
• Average broadband speeds in the UK are 6.2Mbps. But rural areas are lucky if they can receive 500kbps.
For further information on this news release contact:
Paul Millard CLA SW Communications Manager on 01380 830179
For further information on the CLA go to: www.cla.org.uk
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Planning Policy has Undervalued the Countryside
National planning policy has undervalued the countryside and failed to meet the needs of rural areas for years – according to the CLA, the Country Land and Business Association.
The CLA has now thrown its weights behind the Government’s attempt to rebalance sustainable development in its consultation response to the draft National Planning Policy Framework. The Association warns that if the preservationist lobby gets its way, there is a risk that the 90 percent of countryside currently not built on will simply close down due a lack of inward investment.
CLA South West Director, John Mortimer, said: “Rural businesses and communities have the same needs for jobs, homes and services that urban areas have - but rural England has suffered from urban-centric policies for decades, leading to a countryside that is less sustainable and less self-sufficient.”
The CLA, he said, strongly supported the Government’s attempt to rebalance the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development. The draft NPPF proposes that each pillar should be given equal weight in all planning decisions.
What is needed is a clearly-worded planning policy that encourages a living and working countryside. Management of the landscape and biodiversity so cherished by the public will only happen if it is underpinned by a profitable, sustainable and broader rural economy.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. Read the CLA’s full response to the National Planning Policy Framework consultation
2. The CLA is one of the founding members of the Rural Coalition. The Coalition was brought together by the now defunct Commission for Rural Communities to implement the recommendations made in the Taylor Report “Living Working Countryside”. The group produced its own report entitled “Rural Challenge” in 2010 which set out to show what rural communities need in order to survive. Please visit the CLA website for more information.
3. For more information about the CLA, visit: www.cla.org.uk or follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/CLAtweets
4. For Further information on this press release, please contact Paul Millard CLA SW Communications Manager on 01380 830179.
The CLA has now thrown its weights behind the Government’s attempt to rebalance sustainable development in its consultation response to the draft National Planning Policy Framework. The Association warns that if the preservationist lobby gets its way, there is a risk that the 90 percent of countryside currently not built on will simply close down due a lack of inward investment.
CLA South West Director, John Mortimer, said: “Rural businesses and communities have the same needs for jobs, homes and services that urban areas have - but rural England has suffered from urban-centric policies for decades, leading to a countryside that is less sustainable and less self-sufficient.”
The CLA, he said, strongly supported the Government’s attempt to rebalance the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development. The draft NPPF proposes that each pillar should be given equal weight in all planning decisions.
What is needed is a clearly-worded planning policy that encourages a living and working countryside. Management of the landscape and biodiversity so cherished by the public will only happen if it is underpinned by a profitable, sustainable and broader rural economy.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. Read the CLA’s full response to the National Planning Policy Framework consultation
2. The CLA is one of the founding members of the Rural Coalition. The Coalition was brought together by the now defunct Commission for Rural Communities to implement the recommendations made in the Taylor Report “Living Working Countryside”. The group produced its own report entitled “Rural Challenge” in 2010 which set out to show what rural communities need in order to survive. Please visit the CLA website for more information.
3. For more information about the CLA, visit: www.cla.org.uk or follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/CLAtweets
4. For Further information on this press release, please contact Paul Millard CLA SW Communications Manager on 01380 830179.
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