Rural Hertfordshire Setting the Scene Ben Underwood CLA Director East

About the CLA Membership based organisation with 34,000 members Represent 50% of the rural land in England & Wales and over 260 types of rural business Lawyers, tax specialist, chartered surveyors, economists, planners, rural housing. agriculture, renewable energy, water, environment, heritage, forestry and woodland County branches, CLA Council, National committees Bill groups, specialists working groups

Rural Hertfordshire Of the total area of Hertfordshire (164,306 hectares as at 2011), 111,159 hectares (67.7%) were classified as rural and 57,147 hectares (32,3%) were classified as urban. In population terms only 11.5% of Hertfordshire residents live in rural areas with 88.5% living in urban areas.

The farming landscape Total Income from Farming is estimated to have fallen between 2014 and 2015 by 29% (£1,526 million) in real terms, to £3,769 million. Other challenges: Cash flow – Basic Payment Scheme delays Countryside stewardship – challenges to entry and compliance Renewable energy – changing landscape Crop protection products Competing interests for land – ecosystem services Regulatory burden BREXIT..........

Challenges and opportunities Specific challenges in Hertfordshire: High land values, making access to land for expansion/starting out difficult Lack of affordable rural housing Tension with non-farming neighbours Urban-centric policies and a restrictive planning regime Specific opportunities in Hertfordshire: Access to vast, lucrative urban markets Urban waste used/processed on farm Diversification opportunities Challenges and opportunities

Diversification and rural businesses Diversification has risen from 10% to nearly 25% since 2012 in terms of average contribution to farm incomes. Farm Business Income – 2014/15 (Defra, 2015) More registered businesses per head of population in predominantly rural areas than in predominantly urban Agriculture, forestry & fishing’ accounts for 15.6 percent of businesses in rural areas.

The Rural Economy

Barriers to rural business

A planning system that unlocks investment 57 percent of agricultural to residential planning applications made in Hertfordshire in 2015 were refused. This compares to an average refusal rate of 43 percent across the CLA’s eastern region during the same period. 56 decisions made in 2015 by Hertfordshire’s local planning authorities regarding agricultural to residential planning applications under Permitted Development Rights. Six were granted, 32 were refused, and 18 were judged as not requiring Prior Approval. Of these, East Hertfordshire District Council refused 14 – the most of any of the county’s local planning authorities.

Good connectivity County-wide fibre coverage of 90 per cent by the end of March 2016, with coverage to reach 95% in Hertfordshire by September 2017 and 98% by June 2018

An effective framework for economic delivery Rural proofing of policies need to be carried out at all levels of governance including County Council, Borough/District, LEP, Police. Priority must be given to effective distribution of investment funds into infrastructure that makes rural businesses more accessible (especially broadband and mobile), providing skills and training for new and established businesses, and providing marketing support. A clear understanding in schools of the opportunities in agriculture and the wider rural economy Encourage public procurement policies to support urban fringe farmers. Encouraging private landowners to build affordable homes by broadening the types of provider accepted by councils;

BREXIT - THE PRINCIPLE ISSUES

DIRECT SUPPORT

Payments for ecosystem services