News
For over 38 years, Hugh Townsend has been the country's "go-to" commentator on farm quotas and intangible assets sold off-farm. 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.In 2016, BBC1 interviewed Hugh Townsend on the future of farming following the Referendum, click here. In 2021 he published the first book of its type “the UK Environmental Credits User Guide” , and more recently in 2024 ITV filmed at one of our BNG Habitat Banks which was broadcast on Monday 3rd June (click here) To view the uncut footage of the interview click here
Hugh Townsend developed the most creative arrangements to promote an efficient market in farm quotas, in the early eighties, including leasing milk quota without land, before the Milk Marketing Board introduced leasing for a part of the milk year. He has represented clients in leading court and arbitration cases successfully defending transfers of milk quota, and developed the new system of second TQ1 forms protecting the transfer of quotas with land.
In 1991, Farmers Weekly published the first sale price index from Hugh Townsend, countrywide, and started to publish farm quota sales and leasing graphs, which can be seen on our Milk Quota & Entitlements pages. Prices for intangible assets are still published weekly from this UK leading Brokerage House.
On BBC television, he has defended dairy farmers who have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous individuals in the farm quota market, and was again on television to comment on the "footballers buy milk quota" rumpus.
In 1990, the firm held the first auction of sheep and beef quota making the market in these new intangible assets and is still the leading BPS entitlement broker in the UK regions following England abolishing their scheme in 2023.
The firm also now sells Biodiversity Net Gain and Nutrient Neutrality units, Woodland and Peatland Carbon, in addition to Water Abstraction Licenses, and holds National Sales by tender every six weeks.
18.11.2024 – TCS Case Law Summary -The Kilnwood Vale development case – Recovered appeal: Kilnwood Vale, Sub Phase 3DEFG, Kilnwood Vale, Horsham (application reference number: DC/23/0856). 25th October 2024
There have now been a number of cases in which statutory requirements for Nutrient Neutrality under the Habitat Regulations have held up development. Examples include Wyatt, R v Fareham Borough Council (2022), C G Fry & Sons v Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (2024), and Ward & Anor v Secretary of…
Read More 18.11.202 – TCS Case Law Summary – C G Fry & Son Ltd v Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities. Court of Appeal, Civil Division, NCN: [2024] EWCA Civ 730.
In 2015 C G Fry & Son Ltd were granted outline planning permission by Somerset Council for a mixed-use development consisting of 650 houses and occurring in 8 phases. The first two of these phases went ahead successfully. For phase 3 the council refused to discharge the pre-commencement planning conditions on the basis that the…
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23.10.2024 – Western Morning News – Follow the best advice to aid BNG projects
There has been little information on costs and frequency for LPA monitoring of BNG habitat sites which is an important part of a budget when considering a BNG project. The guiding principle is that an LPA should charge the landowner/manager no more than the actual costs for doing this. This cannot be a profit-making exercise. …
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18.10.2024 – Farmers Weekly – Nutrient mitigation market merits careful consideration
Farmers Weekly’s editor Suzie Horne covers the nutrient mitigation market and the need for carful consideration, with comments from ourselves, highlighted in yellow. Read more…
Read More 9.10.2024 – Western Morning News – Habitat creation can bank returns for environmental measures
BNG – UPDATE – SELF BUILD EXEMPTIONS AND SECONDARY HABITAT CREATION As we await the budget and what rates will be set for the tail end of BPS payments, the emergence of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) as a tradeable intangible asset after a number of years is picking up pace as demand from developers increase….
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30.9.2024 – LinkedIn Post – BNG Made Simple for Landowners
The BNG process broken down into four key stages for landowners wishing to provide off site BNG units. Read more….
Read More 16.7.2024 – LinkedIn Post – Quotes from Green Chronicle on “Making the Business Case for Biodiversity”
“Making the Business Case for Biodiversity” by the Green Chronicle discusses where we are with BNG. Read more…
Read More 17.6.2024 – LinkedIn Post – Comments on Devaluation of Land Under BNG
Comments on the potential impact of BNG on land values. Read more…
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4.6.2024 – ITV West Country News – Biodiversity Net Gain
Great to have an ITV film crew on one of our BNG Habitat Bank Sites, filming a news report, broadcast on the 4th June 2024. Watch the broadcast…
Read More 8.5.2024 – Western Morning News – Delving into the deeper details of pond creation
We often see ecologists/landowners suggesting the creation of new ponds in respect to BNG projects. The costs however can be considerable in certain circumstances and the number of BNG units created surprisingly not as great as one would imagine. However if the appeal of creating water landscape features is the prime objective BNG can be…
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