Carver Knowles Landmark Autumn 2013 | Page 2

Farmland prices continue to grow Average farmland prices continue to reach record highs and have more than trebled in the last 10 years. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reports that the average cost of farmland is now £7,440 per acre whereas in the same period in 2004 it was just over £2,400 per acre. This growth has been fuelled by both farmer and investor demand. Abigail Baldrey, head of Property Agency at Carver Knowles says “Whilst we expect there to be continued growth in average values we are now beginning to see a distinct two tier market developing”. Large blocks of good quality commercial land continues to attract excellent demand and good prices however smaller blocks of poorer quality land and blocks with residential elements, that typically used to suit lifestyle buyers, are attracting less interest and lower per acre values. If you are considering selling and would like a market appraisal please do not hesitate to contact us. Planning Success How well do you know your property? Carver Knowles have been selected as a Recommended Surveyor by the NFU Planning Service. Good fences make good neighbours We have considerable experience in providing advice and guidance for all aspects of planning and development. Examples of recent planning successes include: New agriculturally tied dwellings on livestock farms - Tewkesbury Borough Council, Forest of Dean District Council and Wychavon District Council New cattle building on an expanding beef unit and a Certificate of Lawful Development to regularise an Agricultural Occupancy Condition - Tewkesbury Borough Council Or you could say clear boundaries make for good neighbour relationships and badly defined boundaries make for nothing but trouble. Boundary disputes are a major area of work for the Carver Knowles team, however many disputes can be avoided by regularly monitoring and maintaining property boundaries. The top tips we can offer to avoid dispute: Get your land or property registered with the Land Registry. If you know the boundary is yours, undertake routine maintenance and walk the boundary on a regular basis. Change of use of agricultural buildings to industrial and storage - Cheltenham Borough Council When purchasing a pr operty, double check the boundaries and if necessary confirm them on the ground with the Land Registry plan during the purchase. Extension of an equestrian centre and extension of an existing grain store and dryer unit - Malvern Hills District Council When replacing boundary fences or hedges notify your neighbour and have Change of use to holiday accommodation - Wychavon District Council Certificate of Lawful Use to regularise equestrian use on agricultural land Redditch Borough Council a site meeting if there is likely to be any ambiguity. If you are concerned about the position of your boundaries or you would like to register your land, Carver Knowles can assist with a review of existing plans and the preparation of Land Registry compliant plans. If you are looking to erect a fence on an undetermined boundary we can also plot existing boundaries using our mapping software. Carver Knowles Prize Draw Congratulations to Joe Edwards of Boddington Estates on winning the Carver Knowles spring Prize Draw. For your chance to win a bottle of champagne please email [email protected] with Prize Draw in the subject line. Please include your name, address and contact number in the body of the email. The competition is open to all including those who entered the spring draw.