The future of the rural economy

Rural communities are facing pressure from various aspects, invariably caused by Brexit, leading to farmers and other rural land owners to consider their future investments and diversification of land use. With the diversity and complexity of the sector, the combination of legal problems clients present requires a unique skill set from solicitors who serve rural communities.

These rural communities are expecting comprehensive legal advice in relation to not only agricultural, but also commercial, environmental and private client issues as they seek to find other income streams to offset the potential damage caused by Brexit (whether directly or not).

While subsidies will continue to be available from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, at least until 2020, they will be gradually withdrawn by 2028. Diversification is therefore becoming a priority for far-sighted clients and this needs to be achieved in a legal landscape that is already highly complex.

In an interview for the Law Society Gazette, Tristan Ward, head of our landed estates and agriculture team, comments that his unspoken advice is to ‘crudely put, get fit [for farming] or get out [of farming]’. As he notes, ‘there is no business that is not affected by Brexit, whether it knows it or not’.

The full article is available here.