CHANGE IS IN THE AIR – BUT IS IT GOOD NEWS FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE?

When King Charles gave his first King’s speech of the new Parliament earlier this month, he outlined a very busy legislative programme including some 39 bills, writes Tom Corfield. 

We shouldn’t be surprised at this: Labour’s manifesto was titled ‘Change’, and this was a statement of intent from the new government.

Manifestos are written to win elections, but they also offer an insight into the priorities of any party assuming power.  Labour’s manifesto was a 142 page document which mentioned food just eight times and faming only twice – and one of those had nothing to do with agriculture.

So does that mean that the new legislative programme will have little effect on farming and the rural economy?  Of course it doesn’t.

When it comes to food, Labour says it ‘recognises that food security is part of our national security’ and promises to ‘reduce food prices by removing barriers to businesses trading’.  It doesn’t assert that UK food production is the solution to food security, and you could interpret removing barriers as meaning more imported food (although it could equally mean greater opportunities for food exporters).

The party says it will ‘promote the highest standards when it comes to food production’.  We may surmise that this means not degrading standards by diverging from EU rules, but it’s unclear how that ‘promotion’ will translate into reality.

Perhaps the most important bill in the legislative programme is the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, aimed primarily at accelerating the delivery of new homes.  Measures include changing compulsory purchase compensation rules to ensure that landowners receive ‘fair but not excessive’ amounts.  What constitutes fair is not yet defined; the devil will be in the detail.  But it seems clear that the new government is targeting what it sees as profiteering by landowners.

Whilst brownfield land is to be prioritised for development, the green belt and the yet-to-be-defined ‘grey belt’ will come into play.  ‘Britain is hampered by a planning regime that means we struggle to build either the infrastructure or the housing the country needs,’ says the manifesto.

That is a clear message that Labour is keen to drive more new housing, which could be an opportunity for farmers and other landowners - although a stricter focus on affordable housing ratios will inevitably compromise land values to an extent, and limited compensation for compulsorily purchased land will also bite.

Development proposals need development plans to ensure we don’t end up with large numbers of dwellings in isolated, unsustainable locations. Change is promised and all eyes will be on Parliament and Labour as they roll out the detail.