Professional Services continued from p25


generate additional income. “The Covid world has also crystallised the desire for many to have more space and when lock- down started to ease a lot of are- as had more spring in their step than before,” explains Mr Fallows. “Leisure and lifestyle are prov- ing to be big selling points. Rural


land in close proximity to good travel networks is high in demand from lifestyle purchasers. So 2021 could present a sterling opportu- nity for sellers.”


“


• Are the title deeds to the property correctly registered with the Land Registry? • Are there any restrictive covenants, clawbacks or rights of way which may affect the land? • Do you have all relevant paperwork? • Do you have energy performance certificates?


Preparation takes time but is well worth it


Questions sellers should ask themselves


• What are the boundary maintenance responsibilities? • Are farm records easily available? • Have you any planning permission certificates? • Can you provide details of easements? • Remember, information on services for electricity, water and sewerage are all required.


£1m investment allowance limit extended for now


The government has extended its temporary higher Annual Invest- ment Allowance (AIA) limit of £1m for a further year. The AIA was due to revert to its original £200,000 on 1 Janu- ary 2021. But it has been extended by 12 months to stimulate business investment as the econ- omy continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.


The extension means busi-


nesses – including farms – can continue to claim up to £1m in same-year tax relief through the AIA for capital investments in plant and machinery assets


until 1 January 2022. Martyn Dobinson, partner at accountancy firm Saffery Champ- ness, said: “This is good news for an under pressure rural and agri sector. This will accelerate tax re- lief and reduce tax cash outflow for those taking advantage of the extension.”


Tax avoidance Treasury secretary Jesse Nor- man said the government would also deliver on its commitment to help protect UK taxpayers by clamping down on promoters of tax avoidance schemes.


New partnership seeks to reduce GPS theft


Risk management company SmartWater has teamed up with Vantage England & Wales to help protect customers from rural crime. The


partnership will see


SmartWater Technology supply forensic marking liquid for Van- tage’s Trimble agricultural portfo- lio, including advanced navigation and machine control systems de- signed specifically for farming use. Each Trimble product comes with a bottle of SmartTrace liq-


26 MIDLAND FARMER • DECEMBER 2020


uid with a unique forensic code. All the user needs to do is to ap- ply this to their asset using the syringe provided and register the individual code on the national database.


Also provided with the Smart- Trace liquid are deterrent stickers that can be applied to each of the Trimble brand products. If in the event a stolen item is recovered it can instantly be tracked back to its owners via the database which is accessible to the police.


Hare coursing remains a problem during the autumn and winter months,


Operation Galileo sees police join forces against


hare coursers • Police work together against gangs • Hi-tech approach is getting results • Public have important role to play


P


olice have joined forces to combat the problem of hare-coursing by sharing


information about offenders. Some 21 constabularies are working together to combat the crime, which sees big mon- ey change hands as dogs chase hares across fields. Called Oper-


ation Galileo, police will share in- telligence about coursers during the 2020/21 season.


Prevention continues to be a


key focus, supported by more so- phisticated prosecution and in- telligence gathering capabilities. In many cases, officers use drones to monitor offenders without


New farm vets on board


Bakewell-based farm veterinary practice LLM Farm Vets has wel- comes two new vets to its expand- ing team.


Chantal Bryant (pictured


right) joins the team with more 14 years in practice, including the past eight years as a farm vet. She brings a wealth of experi- ence in the form of mastitis con- trol planning, bull fertility test- ing, and preventative medicine in both cattle and sheep. Jake Thompson (pictured far right) joins the team on a


part-time basis. Jake is a qual- ified vet who is currently stud- ying for his PhD at Nottingham University. He is supporting the clinical team at LLM with all aspects of farm work, includ- ing his cattle production knowl- edge.


On top of their new team mem- ber announcements, the LLM team have also secured a new medicine collection site in Ash- bourne, to make it quicker and more convenient for farmers to pick up any necessary supplies.


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