News
Hugh Townsend has for 25 years been the country's "go-to" commentator on farm quotas and rural surveying issues affecting farmers. Having become the country's leading and most innovative quota agent he was broadcast to 3.8 million listeners on Radio 4's PM programme interviewed by Eddie Mayer on the 1st April 2015 – the Dawning of Europe without Milk Quotas, click here. More recently BBC1 interviewed Hugh Townsend on the future of farming following the Referendum, click here.
Hugh Townsend has over the years developed the most creative arrangements to promote an efficient market in farm quotas, in the early eighties developing leasing milk quota without land before the Milk Marketing Board introduced leasing for a part of the milk year.
He represented clients in leading legal cases defending transfers of milk quota and developed the new system of second TQ1 forms protecting the transfer of quotas with land.
In 1991, with Farmers Weekly he produced the first sale price index countrywide and started to publish farm quota sales and leasing graphs which are still published by Farmers Weekly and other publications and can be seen on our Milk Quota & Entitlements pages.
On BBC television he has defended dairy farmers who have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous inpiduals in the farm quota market and was again on television to comment on the "footballers buy milk quota" rumpus.
He regularly writes for Farmers Guardian and the South West's Western Morning News and our experienced team is sought after for their comments on farm quotas.
19.12.2025 – Nature Restoration Fund: Supporting Natural Capital Markets
The Planning and Infrastructure Act received Royal Assent yesterday, ushering in a new chapter as to how developers can meet their environmental responsibilities. The most immediate impact will be on Nutrient Neutrality for developments within certain sensitive catchments and this will create new opportunities for landowners to enter these ‘Nature Markets’ by providing mitigation measures. Planning and Infrastructure Act The key aspects of the Act are to: 1. Streamline the process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) …
Read More 17.12.2025 – BNG – News in from Parliament Yesterday
Hugh Townsend comments: “A lot of good news for the BNG market following announcements in Parliament on the 16th December and Royal Assent being given to the Planning and Infrastructure Act on the 18th December. 1. Certainty over exemptions applying on only up to 0.2 ha of non-brownfield sites. We await for the DEFRA modelling in 2026 as to what effect this will have on the…
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1.4.2025 – BNG – Habitat and Humans
On the 13th November an appeal of East Hertfordshire District Council’s decision to refuse outline planning permission for the erection of 7 dwellings (Application reference: 3/24/1813/OUT, Appeal reference: APP/J1915/W/25/3365544) was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate. One of the main issues was whether the proposal would provide an adequate level of Biodiversity Net Gain, and the planning inspector found that…
Read More 4.11.2025 – BNG – Who we are and what are we doing?
Hugh Townsend is a fellow of the RICS, CAAV and Institute of Arbitrators and the founder of Townsend Chartered Surveyors. The firm are traditional land agents doing everything you would expect land agents to do but also specialize in Natural Capital markets both creating units and selling them which is very much as we were with Milk Quota,…
Read More 5.12.2025 – BPS Entitlement Trading Kicks Off for 2026
The window for trading Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish BPS entitlements is now open. SCOTLAND With Scotland having the earliest closing date for entitlement transfer applications (2nd April 2026) we expect interest to pick up sharply as we approach the new year. Prices at the end of the 2025 trading window are listed below. We expect trading…
Read More 8.10.2025 – TCS Article – BNG Phasing Options – Fixed or Flexible?
Whether you are thinking about setting up a BNG habitat bank, or are in the process of doing so, phasing can be one of the most important considerations. When creating a Habitat Bank you will need to decide on what areas and number of phases you will use to roll out your habitat bank as…
Read More 11.9.25 – TCS Article – BNG Market Picks Up
We have an increasing demand for a wide range of BNG lot sizes, ranging 0.01 up to 220+ units and everything in between. As of the 10th September 2025, the average lot size we see needed is 16.043 units, and is for the following habitat type units – Bramble Scrub Ditches Line of Trees Lowland…
Read More 31.5.2025 – TCS Article – DEFRA’s Consultation
THE FUTURE BNG MARKET OUR VIEWPOINT DEFRA’s consultation on BNG, published on 28th May, may initially appear unsettling to those creating or selling units. However, the consultation is not as straightforward as it may seem at first glance. There is in fact far more good news than bad. The consultation confirms that the Government, having reviewed…
Read More 29.5.2025 – TCS Article – Latest Update on BNG – DEFRA consultation and court ruling on when BNG applies
DEFRA confirmed on the 28th May with their consultation on BNG that Labour is supporting the continuance of the BNG scheme and the introduction of NSIPs in May 2026. The consultation looks at various options which could be good news for developers if implemented. Biodiversity Gain requirement: At what point does a planning application require…
Read More 27.5.2025 – TCS Article – Natural Capital Market Update
NATURAL CAITAL MARKET UPDATE – ENVIRONMENTAL CREDITS BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN Demand for units this year has been steadily rising. With more sales being agreed, it is increasingly clear that off-site units are being purchased further afield from the development site, attracting full spatial weighting. Prices paid by developers range greatly, depending on the type of habitat mitigation…
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