SEBG News Archive
Estates Group issues way ahead plan for tenanted sector
16th December 2004The Scottish Estates Business Group said today that a formidable cross-industry and political effort is needed to rebuild confidence in the tenant farming sector in Scotland.
SEBG, which represents progressive estates throughout Scotland, has prepared a report on the way forward for the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003, which is being sent to all stakeholder organisations in the tenanted sector. In the report SEBG identifies reasons for the lack of available farmland to let, ranging from CAP Reform to the collapse of sector confidence caused by the debate on absolute right to buy.
SEBG’s report says re-invigorating the letting market has to be the industry’s top priority and this will need a considerable joint effort from landowners and their advisors, tenants, industry representative organisations, the Scottish Executive and other political parties.
Sandy Lewis, deputy chairman of SEBG, said today: “We have prepared this report because of the pressing need to find a way to rebuild confidence in the sector. Over the last few years the tenant farming industry has been embroiled in a debate on property rights which brought about a collapse in confidence to let land. The Agricultural Holdings Act has brought in numerous changes but the fact remains that the industry is at a crossroads. If confidence is not restored, the long-term future of the tenanted sector will be seriously undermined.”
New rights covering the pre-emptive right to buy registration of interest by tenants came into effect yesterday under Act. SEBG recognises that many farm tenants may choose to register in order to safeguard their rights should the land they rent be offered for sale.
Mr Lewis said: “We are appealing to landowners and their advisors to accept that, although there are unsatisfactory aspects of the legislation, they are enshrined in law and we must now move forward. We will be asking our members, who are all committed to a code of good practice, to spread the word in their areas.
“ SEBG accepts that, although registration is a costly and bureaucratic process and that a simpler system of notification would have achieved the same objective, landlords should understand the tenant’s interest in registering. Landowners and their advisors have a major role to play in helping to rebuild confidence and an over-reaction to the registration process may well hinder those efforts.
“ Equally, we are appealing for tenants’ representatives to work with us to ensure the future prosperity of the sector. The legislation offers significantly increased rights and advantages to tenants and it is not in the interests of the industry to have continuous pressure for further legislative measures. That will not help industry restore confidence in letting land – an objective that is shared by tenants and landowners alike.
“ We wholeheartedly endorse the view of the NFUS President who has said that continued attempts to revive the absolute right to buy debate threaten the industry’s future. We also welcome the statement from the Scottish Tenant Farmers’ Association acknowledging this is the end of implementation of reforms to tenancies. It is time for the industry to move forward to realise our common goal of a vibrant tenant sector.”
