Agricultural tenancy consultation and call for evidence on mortgage restrictions and repossession protections for agricultural land in England

Overview

We are seeking views on options for reform of agricultural tenancy law in England which could remove barriers to productivity improvements and facilitate structural change in the tenant farming sector. We are also calling for evidence and views on two matters:

• whether current restrictions on agricultural mortgages are a barrier to landowners wishing to let land; and
• whether there is a need to provide additional protections against the repossession of agricultural land for farm business borrowers who are unable to meet finance repayments under secured loans.

Who will be affected by these proposals?

This consultation on proposals for tenancy reform in England is directed at tenant farmers, agricultural landlords and the professions who advise them, including agricultural valuers, surveyors, lawyers, arbitrators and tenancy dispute resolution experts. The call for evidence questions are directed at farm businesses, agricultural landowners, professional advisors and financial organisations (banks and lenders) with interests in agricultural land.

How to respond

The consultation period will commence on 9th April 2019 and will be open for responses for a period of 12 weeks. The consultation period will close at midnight on 2nd July 2019.  We have asked you a number of specific questions throughout this document. If you have any other views on the subject of this consultation and call for evidence, which have not been addressed, you are welcome to provide us with these views in your response.

You can respond using the online survey by clicking the link 'Give Us Your Views' below. Or written responses can be emailed to agriculturaltenancies@defra.gov.uk or posted to:

Defra, Agricultural Tenancies, 

Second Floor, Seacole Block

2 Marsham Street

London, SW1P 4DF        

If you would like to keep in contact with us to express interest in this, or any other Defra consultation, please give us your details through the link below

https://gov.smartwebportal.co.uk/defra/public/webform.asp?id=108&id2=1D06F7

What happens next

The closing date for this consultation is midnight on 2nd July 2019. Responses received by this date will be analysed and taken into account by Ministers in their consideration of future policy and legislative changes. Further analysis of the benefits, impacts and legal implications and complexities of the proposals will also be undertaken and considered alongside the responses to this consultation as part of our policy development process. A summary analysis of responses to the consultation will be published within 12 weeks of the closure of this consultation.

During the consultation, if you have any enquiries, please contact: agriculturaltenancies@defra.gov.uk