At a glance The Farming Profitability Review is a six-month, England-only review led by Baroness Minette Batters and commissioned by Defra. Its job is to ask a blunt question: “How can farms in England make a proper profit from farming, while still delivering on climate and nature?” A few key framing points: It focuses on […]

Jon Westerman recently highlighted some big changes in the planning world: more staff, ring-fenced funds, and the ability to charge for applications, all aimed at speeding up approvals. For landowners, this creates a friendly planning environment and opportunities like Class Q conversions, even in green belt areas (though not national landscapes).  Sounds exciting, right? But […]

If the CLA Rural Business Conference was a sandwich, it was the sort you unwrap with curiosity. Plenty of good ingredients, a few surprising layers, and the occasional bite that made you pause and check the menu again.   The theme was “driving rural growth”, a title enthusiastically championed by the Secretary of State, the […]

Speakers: Antony Pearce (Dudley Peverill Associates), Dawn Woollam (DPA Consultant), Ed Daniell (Rural Space), Iain Hawthorne (Aravis UK), Simon Kinvig (Pegasus Group) At the Farm Business Innovation Show, this panel brought together diversification experts from across planning, finance, design, and rural enterprise explored how landowners can unlock new income streams through thoughtful, phased development. Using […]

In recent months, the number of inquiries from equestrian sites and businesses regarding diversification and redevelopment has significantly increased, and with good reason. While equestrian enterprises can be highly successful, they occupy a “grey” or convoluted space within UK planning policy, more often than not falling outside the permitted development rights afforded to agricultural sites […]

Barn conversions are some of the most rewarding forms of rural development, but also some of the most complex. In 2025, with material and labour costs continuing to rise, and construction costs expected to continue to increase by 14% from Q2 2025 to Q2 2030 according to the BCIS, avoiding cost creep has never been […]

At Dudley Peverill Associates, we often meet landowners and farmers who know their agricultural buildings are underutilised, but don’t know how to unlock their value. Changing the use of redundant farm buildings can feel like an impossible task when faced with financial or planning challenges and unknowns. Are Your Buildings Working Hard Enough? If you […]

The insights from the Tees Solicitors Farm Survey 2025 powerfully underline two critical trends we actively support: the proactive pursuit of professional advice and the strategic embrace of diverse income streams. The survey clearly shows that larger farms are significantly more forward-thinking in seeking professional compliance advice. Beyond general agronomy, a higher proportion of large farms […]