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.
Western Morning News – 24.06.13 – Dispute Resolution with the RPA
This issue is one that many of us will have experienced from time to time, and for some it is a process they have had to endure for many years. In order to fully understand the situation at the RPA and how and why some farmers are going through a long drawn out procedure that,…
Read MoreFarmers Guardian – 07.06.13 – Putting in a Tender to Rent a Farm
More dairy units have come on this year to rent with the improved milk price. As a landlord it is important that when prospective tenants come to put their tender in they know exactly where they stand in respect to all aspects of the property. Whether the tenancy is for 10 or 20 years, clarity…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 05.06.13 – New legislation gives much greater flexibility in change-of-use rules
On the 30th May 2013 the latest amendment to the Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (GPDO) came into force. Since its introduction in 1995 as part of the Town & Country Planning Act there have been a number of amendments to the GPDO, the latest of which appears to be designed to…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 15.05.13 – Still Time to Make Changes to your SP5
Hopefully by the time you read this, your SP5 will have been safely lodged with the RPA. However you still have until the 31st May to make amendments without incurring any penalty, and up to the 9th June with a 1% penalty for every day beyond the 15th May. It should be noted that once…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 17.04.13 – Let us help sort out your SFP complexities
With now only four weeks left before the SP5 deadline of the 15th May, it is probably now for some the first time they pick up the new 124 page 2013 Single Payment Scheme Handbook. However this of course is not the only publication a claimant for the SPS needs to understand and comply with. …
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 27.03.13 – Abandoning our Anglo-Saxon fastidiousness has left RPA having to enforce severe fines
My office has been trying to analyse the recently announced UK fines issued by the EU in respect to Single Payment in order to try and inform us as to how this has and will influence the future monitoring of Single Farm Payment and Stewardship Schemes by the RPA and Natural England. At today’s exchange…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 13.03.13 – Intricacies of RPA’s new 2013 handbook explained
One can only become more and more wary of the RPA. Following the recent announcement that the UK are being fined £86 million for its “lenient sanction” of Cross Compliance measures etc, the new 2013 Handbook whilst not very exciting should still be vital reading! Planning on permanent pasture Permission may be required before converting…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 27.02.13 – RPA claims of ‘artificiality’ over Naked Acre lettings
The Single Farm Payment market is squaring up for a frantic last minute rush as the 2013 Handbook has only been released this week together with the SP5 forms. We are therefore a week behind last year already, and combined with Easter, two weeks, so practically the deadline for entitlement trading is now only 4…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 06.02.13 – CAP reform proposals remain full of imponderable problems
We gradually move closer to a CAP reform although odds are already being offered as to whether an agreement will be reached for this to be in place even by 2015. Over the last couple of weeks the European Parliament’s Agricultural Committee have been voting on the Commission’s original proposals. Patterns are beginning to appear,…
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