Agricultural Law - Starting from Scratch

This course covers the most important basic elements of agricultural law for those with little or no knowledge of this area of practice. It is largely property based looking at the differences in dealing with sales, purchases and lettings of rural property compared with others. Agricultural tenancies under both the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 are covered in some depth. It is a practical presentation and includes drafting of documents and presentation of cases.

Dealings with agricultural property

• Special features of rural property and land use
• The Single Payment Scheme – dealing with land with or without entitlements
• Milk quotas – how they work and how to deal with them
• Environmental Stewardship contracts and their traps and wrinkles

• The Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 including detailed analysis of security of tenure, rent reviews, succession, etc.
• The Agricultural Land Tribunal – drafting of succession applications
• The Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995: farm business tenancies and issues in drafting them
• Agricultural workers’ accommodation

• Broadening of rural land use: the changing shape of the countryside including brief comments on —

o Wind farms

o Food v fuel

o The bio-economy

Course Dates

06/09/2012 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne	09:30 - 12:45 Venue Information
10/09/2012 London	09:30 - 12:45 Venue Information
18/09/2012 Exeter	09:30 - 12:45 Venue Information
25/09/2012 Chester	09:30 - 12:45 Venue Information
26/09/2012 Leeds	09:30 - 12:45 Venue Information
23/10/2012 Manchester	09:30 - 12:45 Venue Information
24/10/2012 Birmingham	09:30 - 12:45 Venue Information
06/11/2012 Nottingham	09:30 - 12:45 Venue Information

Geoff Whittaker 
has been Consultant and Adviser to the Agricultural Law Association since 2002, prior to which he spent more than 20 years in practice as a solicitor in various branches of property law, a good many of them advising farmers and landowners. He edits Farm Law journal. He is also a member of the Groupe de Bruges and of the Executive Board of the European Council for Rural Law.