National Farmers’ Union Unit 8 Ground Floor Rotherbrook Court Bedford Road Petersfield Hampshire GU32 3QG Your ref: Telephone: 01730 711950 Fax: 01730 711951 Mr Jon Byne Our ref: 2018 001 MEASS Email:
[email protected] Mr Richard Westacott Direct line: 01730 711 950 By email:
[email protected] Fax: 024 Date: 5th January 2018 7685 8501 Dear Sirs Medway Estuary and Swale Strategy Consultation The NFU is an industry representative organisation, which aims to safeguard the farming and growing business interests of our members. We represent the majority of commercial farm businesses and our views are generated through consultation with a democratically elected membership structure. We have approximately 390 members living and working within the Medway and Swale area. The NFU has been involved at various stages of this consultation and whilst we are unable to comment on the specific proposals for each Benefit Area, there are some general matters where we seek further clarification. Firstly, as you are aware Medway and Swale is a nationally important area for food production. Approximately 10% of the national resource of Grade 1 Agricultural Land is located within these and surrounding districts. The consultation does not provide useful clarity over the way in which highly productive agricultural land has been valued, or how that land will be protected by the strategy. We seek further clarification over how the most valuable land and soils are to be protected in the future. There are a large number of sea walls now designated as “No Active Intervention”, which in our understanding is a downgrade compared to the existing Shoreline Management Plan.