Land & Property Experts

Property Review Spring 2020 1 Land & Property Experts

BTF Services

As a proactive multi-disciplinary company, BTF Property and Estate Management Partnership offers a wide range of professional We provide a full property and estate services to meet the needs of both rural and management service tailored to suit our commercial property owners and occupiers. individual clients’ needs for a range of rural By using our experience and technical and commercial properties, from single units knowledge we aim to provide cost effective to multi-let buildings and estates. solutions to our clients on all matters that they We aim to protect and enhance our clients’ face whether it be in a politically turbulent interests by improving investment performance climate, taking into account market trends, or reducing occupational costs for occupiers. adding value to businesses or simply providing good solid professional advice. Valuation Expertise We provide property valuation advice for a Rural and Commercial lettings and sales wide number of clients and lenders. Valuations We annually value properties worth in excess Planning and Development of £250 million. Property and Estate Management Investment and Development Grants and Subsidies We advise on the appraisal purchase, sale, Landlord and Tenant management and enhancement of Compulsory Purchase and Compensation commercial and residential investment development opportunities. Property Investment Advice We advise on promotion and option agreements. Agricultural Finance Arbitration and Expert Witness Auctions We organise dedicated auctions for the sale Sales, Lettings and Acquisitions of estates, farms and other rural property. Specialist advice on the appraisal, valuation, First class farm dispersal sales service. acquisition and sale of land and rural, agricultural and commercial property in the The BTF 50 Club South East. The BTF 50 Club advises on all aspects of Our tailor-made service ensures that agricultural and horticultural employment property for sale is handled in a professional law and HR related issues. We are a and efficient way. specialist consultancy service providing up to Extensive local knowledge and expertise in date advice and lobbying to our farmer and the lettings of farms and land. grower members throughout the UK.

2 Turbulent 20’s or a time for opportunity?

A new decade has begun and there is no doubt the NFU have said this ‘mustn’t compromise that the landscape for landowners and farmers our food supply’. will be different over the next 10 years and beyond. There are a number of significant Food production and land management have changes to UK Government policy to be aware of worked hand in hand for generations and we now that Britain has left the European Union and will all be keen to see how this new legislation is in a transition period to the end of December works in practice, especially with the need to 2020. We look at how this will impact on your feed a growing UK population estimated to rise land holdings and or farming operations: by 5% over this decade. Going Green The Government is committed to tackling climate change and being the first major The rural community and environmentalists will economy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, be working much more closely in the future. so we will wait to see how the Environment Bill The Government published its Environmental fits in practice with the new Agriculture Bill, Bill at the end of January 2020, which aims to also introduced to Parliament in January 2020. shape environmental policy for a generation and whilst broadly welcomed, organisations such as

3 Land & Property Experts

Agriculture Bill

This bill will provide the framework to replace Ministers must set out multi-annual plans for existing agricultural support schemes and it will using financial assistance powers and plans provide new powers and a new approach to starting in 2021 will run for seven years, with farm payments and land management. plans of at least five years duration after that. Key changes include: “The UK population is estimated to Powers for Government Ministers to develop rise by 5% over this decade” new farm support systems in England. Direct Ministers must report on food security at least payments are currently based on how much once every five years. land is farmed and these will be phased out over several years starting from 2021. New There are a number of measures on matters schemes to pay farmers for producing ‘public relating to farming and the countryside, goods’ such as environmental or animal welfare agricultural tenancies, fertiliser regulation, improvements will be introduced. New in the identification and traceability of animals and the 2020 bill is financial support for other items ‘Red Meat Levy’ are also included. such as soil protection and improvement. “Direct payments are currently based Ministers will continue to have powers to on how much land is farmed and intervene in agricultural markets in exceptional conditions including providing farmers with these will be phased out over several financial support, operating public intervention years starting from 2021” and private storage aid schemes. There are differences within the UK as to how There will continue to be measures to increase the bill applies. Powers for a schedule for transparency and fairness in the supply chain Northern Ireland to enable the preparation of for farmers and food producers which will be replacement schemes are included. Some of achieved through new requirements on the the provisions in the bill will apply to Wales, but collection and sharing of data. The new bill goes these are intended to be temporary. Welsh further with fair dealing measures, so that any ministers intend to introduce a Wales business purchaser must comply and a wider Agriculture Bill and the Scottish Government range of people selling products can benefit has already introduced legislation which from the provisions. proposes to keep most farm support approaches the same until November 2024. Measures on marketing standards and carcass classification. New clauses in the bill are With changing legislation dominating the included on the certification of organic products landscape over the next few years, what is likely both import and export sales as well as to be happening in the land market here in the domestic sales. South East? The bill sets out provisions to enable the UK to As we reported at the end of 2019 the first six meet obligations under The World Trade months to June 2019 saw the lowest acreage of Organisation Agreement on agriculture which publicly marketed land in the UK since 1995, limits how support considered ‘trade-distorting’ (excluding 2001 and the Foot and Mouth crisis) can be provided by any country. with 74,000 acres. Our local picture confirmed this however we have a diverse pipeline of land There is a requirement for Ministers to consider and property coming onto the market this spring. the need to encourage the production of food in Farmland prices in the South east are unlikely to England in an environmentally sustainable way. dip in the short term however it is expected that

4 with Brexit now confirmed, there are likely to be Here at BTF we are working with a number of some farmers and landowners who look again at landowners affected by this scheme on both their business structures, especially given future sides of the crossing and the broader changes to farm payments. development in this area especially around Ebbsfleet will over time impact on land supply Greater global trade insecurity may encourage and prices in the area. some investors into agricultural land, especially given its finite supply here in the South East and Land in the South East in the future is likely to some of the Government’s plans. be needed for tree planting. The Woodland Trust has released a plan for increasing tree During the 2019 General Election campaign the cover across the UK to help address the climate Conservatives made a pledge to build at least emergency. one million new homes over the next five years, which could help maintain land prices here in “The Government is committed to the South East as new sites are pushed tackling climate change and being the forwards. The planning system here in the South East will inevitably struggle to process a first major economy to achieve net large increase in volume quickly. zero emissions by 2050” “Conservatives made a general With these and many other pressures on land supply here in the South East, it is difficult to election pledge to build at least forecast any major changes in prices certainly one million new homes over the in the short term. Those farmers with rollover next five years” funds are likely to continue to want to reinvest, along with investors who will want to capitalise Major infrastructure projects don’t come much on the stability, long term growth and the ability larger than the Lower Thames Crossing which to protect funds from Inheritance Tax offered by is due to open in 2028. As of January 2020, the farmland and hobby and lifestyle buyers, who scheme entered a consultation phase and it is will continue to want to own land around likely to be the largest new road scheme in the residential property interests. UK for a number of years.

5 Land & Property Experts

A selection of land and properties for sale or coming soon

COMING SOON Stansted, Kent An agricultural and residential estate in 5 separate lots (100 acres).

COMING SOON Cowbeech, East Sussex Converted Sussex Barn (2.46 acres).

COMING SOON Cowden, Kent A development site with full planning permission for 9 residential units and a Farmhouse redevelopment (4 acres).

6 FORSALE FORSALE Hawkhurst, Kent High Halden, Kent A barn with full planning permission for conversion Converted residential oast house (0.48 acres). to a four bedroom dwelling (1.46 acres).

TOLET TOLET Canterbury, Kent Canterbury, Kent Refurbished office building to provide accommodation Attractive refurbished period office building with over three floors with parking. Finished to ahigh parking just outside Canterbury city walls within specification. Fully let to three occupiers. a short walk of the city centre.

TOLET Canterbury, Kent Single storey warehouse unit with mezzanine and hard standing area to the front, situated on popular, well-established trading estate.

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A selection of land and properties recently sold

SOLD SOLD

Throwley, Kent Benenden, Kent Former agricultural yard and buildings with Agricultural and Residential Estate (346.7 acres). converted office units (3.87 acres).

SOLD SOLD

Newenden, Kent Ticehurst, East Sussex Residential and Grassland Farm (134.5 acres). Range of agricultural outbuildings with pasture and woodland (13.5 acres).

SOLD SOLD

Rushlake Green, East Sussex Beckley, East Sussex Pasture Land (46.6 acres). Grade II Listed Farmhouse (4 acres).

SOLD SOLD

Bexhill, East Sussex Heathfield, East Sussex Residential smallholding (6 acres). Residential and Equestrian Holding (19 acres).

8 SOLD SOLD

Hooe, East Sussex Heathfield, East Sussex Residential and Equestrian Holding (6.3 acres). Residential and Grassland Holding (31.4 acres).

SOLD SOLD

Canterbury, Kent Canterbury, Kent A pair of link three storey Victorian townhouse with Long leasehold investment. Adjoining office and rear annex (0.56 acres). retail units in established business location.

SOLD SOLD

Tenterden, Kent Faversham, Kent A Grade II listed retail, office and residential Unique Grade II listed Georgian house with building in town centre location. permission for either office or residential uses.

SOLD SOLD

Staple, Kent Romney Marsh, Kent Residential development site for 15 houses Agricultural Land and Buildings in three separate (5 acres). parcels (370 acres).

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Vist us in 2020 at: Farm Expo Weald of Kent Ploughing Wednesday 4 March 2020 Match Kent County Showground Saturday 19 September 2020 Delting, ME14 3JF Woolpack Corner, Tenterden Road kentshowground.co.uk/farmexpo Biddenden, Kent, TN27 8BH Free Entry www.wkpma.co.uk Entry £8, under 12’s free Aldington Point to Point Monday 13 April 2020 Gravesend & Rochester Church Lane, TN25 7EJ Ploughing Match @AldingtonRaces Saturday 26 September 2020 Entry £10 or £8.50 in advance, under 14’s Ringshill Farm, Wouldham, Rochester free Kent ME1 3TP www.graa.org Heathfield Show Entry £5 per car, £1 on foot 23 May 2020 Little Tottingham Farm, Broad Oak, Heathfield, TN21 8UE Looking forward to seeing you www.heathfieldshow.org at one of these events! Make Tickets £18 for adults on the day and sure to come and say hello. children aged 16 or under go free

10 Vist us in 2020 at: Rural Team

Michael Bax FRICS FAAV Katie Brook Alex Cornwallis MRICS Tim Crundwell [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Anthony Field MRICS Tom French MIRCS FAAV Ned Gleave Colin Hall LLB FAAV [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Mark Henty MRICS FAAV William Hinckley MRICS Claire Houchin MRICS FAAV Harry Kenton MRICS FAAV [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Lissa Mitchell MRICS Laura Nesfield MRICS FAAV Ed Plumptre MRICS FAAV Stuart Sillars MRICS FAAV [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Tim Thatcher RichardThomas MRICS FAAV Tom Wilson MRICS FAAV Sophie Evans [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

11 Our Offices Challock Canterbury Heathfield Clockhouse Barn 27 Watling Street Euston House Canterbury Road Canterbury 82 High Street Challock Kent Heathfield Kent TN25 4BJ CT1 2UD East Sussex TN21 8JD 01233 740077 01227 763663 01435 864455 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Canterbury

Challock

Heathfield