Your latest news from Fisher German in the Northwest

Pampering your pooch!

The Blundell of Crosby Estate, at Little Crosby, Merseyside which is managed by Fisher German Chester office has recently let a former farmhouse and outbuildings and approximately 11acres of land for use as a 25 bedroom luxury Dog hotel, Daycare & Training facilities, Hydrotherapy centre and Grooming salon.

The smallholding which was relet with effect from 1^st April 2017 and has recently obtained planning consent for the proposal, is currently undergoing significant investment by the new tenant to transform it into the luxury dog facility. The boutique 5 star hotel will have 25 luxury bedrooms instead of kennels, ranging from standard rooms which can house up to 2 dogs (all from the same family), to family rooms which can take 3+ dogs. Each room comes with a human size double bed, a television so owners can Skype their pets and also a cctv camera that monitors all dogs when they are in the rooms. Each room has a source of day light, as well as benefits from a state of the art ventilation and filtration systems, ensuring all rooms are fresh, odour/allergen and disease free.

There are plans to operate a daycare facility where dogs can come on a day to day basis whilst owners are at work and they can then be exercised and looked after by trained staff. In addition, training classes will be offered ranging from puppy classes to agility classes and operated by fully trained staff.

The grooming salon will offer a range of treatments all provided by trained groomers in a state of the art salon. Finally a large high spec hydrotherapy pool is planned with a viewing panel and hydraulic harness to enable disabled and rehabilitation dogs to be able to access the pool. Richard Baker who is the Partner is charge of the management of the Blundell of Crosby Estate commented that “this was considered to be extremely innovative and well thought out proposal and in view of its location in the north west, all parties are confident that this new business venture will a great success”

Diversification avenue for farmers and landowners

Music festivals as a diversification avenue for landowners

Music festivals are very much a current trend, with an increasing number being held throughout the UK during the summer months. Landowners are increasingly viewing events of this nature as a diversification opportunity for their current business. Festivals can be held by way of a licence agreement under the management of a third party; offering a valuable alternative income stream and producing an attractive price per acre over and above agricultural value.

The individual characteristics of a site will determine the events that can be held there, varying according to location, infrastructure and accessibility to a populous area. As well as contributing an alternative income stream to the landowner, large events like festivals also benefit the local economy. Throughout the UK, festival reports show that festivals have generated a combined spending of over £1.7 billion each year and gaining a total tourism of nearly 3 million people, Glastonbury Festival alone is reported to generate over £100 million towards the local economy.

Fisher German have the expertise to explore alternative income stream options for your business with you, contact your local Fisher German office for further information.

Chester 01244 409660

Knutsford 01565 757970

Stafford 01785 220044

Make the most of EU money before we leave

LEADER grant funding – The Brexit clock is ticking

LEADER is a local development grant funding programme which is available to small and medium sized rural businesses; farmers looking to diversity; tourism projects; foresters; heritage projects and other rural enterprises. The funding is designed to help rural businesses to create jobs and support the rural economy. Local Action Groups (LAGs) determine projects which best meet key priorities and award grants accordingly.

For an application to be successful it must contribute to one or more of DEFRA’s six priorities. These are to:

support micro and small businesses and farm diversification
boost rural tourism
increase farm productivity
increase forestry productivity
provide rural services
provide cultural and heritage activities

Grants are typically limited to 40% of the projects total eligible costs with the minimum grant that can be applied for being £2,500 and the accepted, but not official maximum being £50,000.

The LEADER programme runs to 2020, however the Rural Payments Agency has issued guidance to LAGs urging them to endeavour to have all LEADER funds committed by the end of March 2019. As a result, it is recommended that Expression of Interest forms to start the application process are with the appropriate LAG by the end of October 2018.

Members of Fisher Germans Knutsford office have recently secured a LEADER grant near to the maximum amount available for a client and therefore have the necessary experience and knowledge to assist with applying for LEADER funding to support your project.

Please contact Blue Archer in the Knutsford office on 01565 757970 or email blue.archer@fishergerman.co.uk to discuss how Fisher German can help you with your LEADER application.

Three magical Wednesdays at Royal Ascot

Three Magical Wednesdays at Royal Ascot

My first visit to Royal Ascot was in 1960 when I had just left Cambridge and was staying with a great friend whose parents had a “grace and favour “ house in Windsor Castle. After lunch for four days I drove my car to join the Royal motorcade through the middle of Windsor Park to be met by a police escort which took us in a very short time to a car park opposite the stands.

I went as well on Saturday which then was not strictly Royal Ascot and I came away with bookmakers’ money in my pocket!

I had my biggest bet, £50, an enormous sum, for me to win £40. The race was the Queen Mary Stakes, a two year old fillies’ race over 5 furlongs. The horse I chose was called “New Move”, trained by Sir Noel Murless and ridden by Lester Piggott. When she pulled clear of the field after 2 furlongs and won by a distance, I told myself that I was a very lucky “b” and must not tempt fate again.

Little did I then know that 57 years later this June I would be standing in the winner’s enclosure after the same race when a filly called “Heartache” had won. My wife Rosie and I are members of the 75 strong Hot to Trot Syndicate which has a half share in this filly and she had just trounced the USA trained odds- on favourite called “Happy as a Fool “.

One of the racing correspondents in a daily paper wrote that the Hot to Trot team should be in the Guinness Book of Records as 50 of its gleeful members were in the winner’s enclosure, beating the previous record of 40 by Sheik Mahomet and his retainers!

However that is not the end of my Magical Wednesdays at Royal Ascot. In 2006 my stepson, Lord Derby’s remarkable racehorse and broodmare “Ouija Board” won the most valuable race at the meeting, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. She was not only owned by him but also bred at his Stanley House Stud Farm which is managed by his brother Peter Stanley. I was in the winner’s enclosure with them too on that memorable day.

How lucky I have been!

Bill Spiegelberg,

Chairman of Cheshire Hunt Properties Ltd. since 1995, which has been a client of Denton Clark and Fisher German since 1994.

What are the alternatives to traditional farm tenancies

Joint ventures have become increasingly popular over the last 20 – 30 years, providing land owners with an alternative means to let land and property without the succession rights associated with Agricultural Holdings Act (AHA) Tenancies between 1984 and 1986.

What are the options?

Contract farming agreements, along with other joint ventures, such as share farming and equity partnerships, have evolved as an alternative to letting land on a tenancy, avoiding commitment to succession rights that came with AHA tenancies in the 1970’s and 80’s.

Today, despite the introduction of the Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) in 1995 which changed the onus from lifetime and succession tenancies to short term agreements, many businesses are increasingly choosing contract farming agreements as an alternative.

We have focused on the popular contract farming agreement in this article, which can be applied in theory to any form of farming business. This is most commonly seen in the arable sector but is becoming increasingly popular in focused areas of the country for dairy enterprises.

How does contract farming work?

This business relationship is that of a Farmer who takes on a Contractor to farm the holding according to an agreement drawn up by both parties. At no stage is a partnership or tenancy created as the land, crops, milk etc all belong to the Farmer at all times. This allows the Farmer to be seen to be actively involved in the trade of farming and seen to be taking financial risk, qualifying the agreement with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), whilst the Contractor has a business that provides a service to the Farmer.

The Farmer and Contractor run separate businesses and so keep their own set of accounts books, bank accounts and VAT registrations, thus ensuring that HMRC can clearly see the separate entities in action.

The farmer and contractor each receive regular payments from the farming business and at the end of the year share in any profits on a pre-agreed basis.

Benefits to the landowner

reduction in daily work on the farm
total separation from labour management and employment
ability to use another’s expertise to turn around a loss-making enterprise
free up family time
receive regular income
make a return on capital or release capital and reduce debts
retain ownership and element of control over the farm
reap the benefits associated with being the producer
concentrate on other aspects of the farming business
taxation planning

Benefits to the contractor

grow net worth and business
build equity
maximise profits
expand cheaply
grow the team and help others to develop
maintain the farm as if it were your own
Keep staff motivated

The way forward

If you think that this is an interesting option for you, it is vital that you carefully consider the legal, financial and technical issues that need to be addressed, be you:

a farmer looking to step down from the day-to-day business but retain an element of control;
a land owner looking to take a more involved role in the management of your property;
a contractor looking to expand your business; or
a young farmer looking for a means of entry into the industry

For further information please contact your local office now for further information.

Chester 01244 40966

Knutsford 01565 757970

Stafford 01785 220044

School run made safer!

Ian Stevens of Fisher German Chester has recently secured planning permission for a car park and replacement playing field at Warmingham Primary School.

The need for car parking arose from a change in the current arrangements. Adjacent to the school is the village hall which has planning permission to be rebuilt as a larger building. The school shares car parking facilities with the village hall; however, this provision would be reduced due to the hall’s redevelopment.

It was considered that there is a need for additional car parking provision to serve the school and this weighed significantly in favour of the proposal.

The existing school playing field was chosen as the most appropriate location for a car park because of its physical and visual relationship with the school. A footpath leads from the site, behind two neighbouring dwellings, to the school. There were no other suitable sites available this close to the school without either having to cross the road or create new footpaths. In planning terms, the playing field site was considered the most appropriate location.

A replacement playing field was proposed to the west of the new car park, in an adjacent field. The need for replacement facilities is an important factor in national planning policy, which seeks to protect open spaces and play facilities.

Fisher German advised the client throughout the planning process, from an initial pre-application discussion with Cheshire East to establish the principles and key planning issues. Through this initial stage, the Council requested several technical reports to satisfy environmental issues which would arise from the development. These include highways impacts (access and traffic), ecology and tree protection, and landscape visual impact matters.

There were several planning issues to consider with the site – design impacts in the countryside location; impact on the amenity of neighbouring residents; impact on landscape features; impact on highway safety and finally, impact on biodiversity. This required detailed assessment of the Council’s planning policies and advice to the client on how best to justify the proposals given the restrictions on development in the open countryside. A balancing exercise was undertaken of the issues. The scheme’s benefits included providing car parking for the school and highways safety for off-road parking and a direct pedestrian link for parents, teachers and schoolchildren to the school.

Officers supported the proposed scheme, concluding that the principle of development in this location is acceptable. They acknowledged that the proposed development would have an impact on residential amenity; however, this would not be adverse and it needs to be weighed against the benefits of the proposed development through the provision of school car parking and the benefits that this would have on highway safety. Finally, the replacement playing field maintained sports provision for users and the scheme was found to be acceptable.

We are currently working on several projects across the North West and North Wales. If you wish to discuss what opportunities are available for your sites, then please contact our north west regional planner.

Ian Stevens on 01244 409668 or email ian.stevens@fishergerman.co.