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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.
17.4.2026 – TCS – DEFRA release BNG consultation results
After a long wait, on the evening of 15th April, DEFRA finally released the results of last May’s consultation on BNG. We set out our brief summary (more to follow) and Hugh Townsend’s initial thoughts about the impact of these changes on the market. “As predicted, the BNG market is reinforced and BNG is politically further embedded following the result of this consultation, with some very positive and dynamic changes.” NSIPs – A massive…
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24.4.2026 – Farmers Weekly – Traders expect ‘massive increase’ in BNG demand
Click here to read Hugh Townsend’s comments as at 24th April in a Farmers Weekly article on the results of the 2025 BNG consultation.
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22.4.2026 – Western Morning News – Biodiversity net gain is politically embedded more than ever
See Hugh Townsend’s commentary in the Western Morning news on the results of the BNG consultation. To see the the full article click here.
Read More 15.4.2026 – Western Morning News – Making the most of limited funding available for farming
See Hugh Townsend’s commentary in the Western Morning news on the state of Government support for agriculture. To see the the full article click here.
Read More 10.4.2026 – Farmers Weekly – BNG market set to gather pace as big projects join
Click here to read Hugh Townsend’s comments as at 10th April in a Farmers Weekly article by Suzie Horne on the BNG market.
Read More 27.3.2026 – Farmers Weekly – Farmers face grant delays as advice service hits capacity
“My advice to farmers is to go after these grants. If you get them great. If not, move on and explore other options like natural capital markets and biodiversity net gain.” Hugh Townsend. Click here to read a Farmers weekly article by Philip Case on these grants.
Read More Seminars for landowners and developers – March 2026
The two seminars look at “both sides of the BNG coin” in respect to the challenges facing landowners either going for planning permission, with changes to the NPPF and BNG framework, or creating the BNG units for these developments. The two are intrinsically linked, both needing each other, one providing the demand for BNG…
Read More 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…
Read More 1.12.2025 – 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…
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