Country Land and Business Association (CLA) following the Prime Minister’s announcement today that farmers across England will receive new support to help manage the impact of prolonged dry weather. You can read the full announcement here.
The CLA has been lobbying government to:
- Reform permitted development rights and the abstraction licensing system to make it easier for farmers to build on-farm reservoirs
- Ensure that all aspects of a reservoir and associated equipment can qualify for full expensing or the £1m annual investment allowance
In response to today’s announcement, Gavin Lane, President of the Country Land and Business Association, said: “The government has reallocated existing money from the farming budget to help farmers combat drought. This is a welcome and pragmatic move, but little more than a temporary fix.
“The announcement that government will make it easier to build on-farm reservoirs is a positive step, but the £15m made available will fund a fraction of the reservoirs we need. This needs to become a sustained programme, with planning and abstraction lined up in support.
“The vast bulk of the cost of building on-farm reservoirs will still fall on farmers, who are already facing record costs as well as absorbing new tax burdens. Today’s announcement is a step forward, but it will not change the reality that farming remains exceptionally difficult in this business environment, and in a country that does not have a plan for climate change adaption.”
