Occasional articles, market observations and short updates on property, land and rural policy across Devon, Cornwall and the wider South West.
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Housing at Conference Season ’26
Every autumn the political parties gather for their conferences and announce what they would do about housing. Most of it is noise. Some of it ends up changing what it costs to buy a home, what a landlord must do, or what gets built down…
Earlier notes
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Who decides what Dartmoor can carry?
Farmers and graziers on Dartmoor are being squeezed from several directions at once, and most people outside farming have no idea why. This is my attempt to explain it in…
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What Happened to British Farming This Week – And Why It Won’t Fix the Real Problem
Four years of consecutive dry summers have broken business models across the south and east. Input costs are up, produce prices are down, and farmers that should be fine are…
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Considering Post-Harvest Options: A Four-Year Crisis Demands Real Change
After four consecutive poor harvests, UK farmers face difficult decisions this autumn. But there’s a genuine opportunity to reimagine their businesses entirely. After four years of disappointing financial results, many…
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The Renters’ Rights Act 2025: What Every Landlord Needs to Know
The most significant reform to residential tenancy law in over 35 years takes effect on 1 May 2026. A comprehensive guide for private landlords in England on the key changes,…
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Finally, some good SFI news!
DEFRA published the full details of the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) this afternoon, and there is a great deal for farmers across Devon and Cornwall to consider. The scheme…
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Farming and Rural Sector Update – January 2026
Happy New Year to all our clients! The turn of the year has brought greater clarity to the policy and commercial framework facing farming and rural businesses. Following a period…
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Budget 2025 – What the changes mean for you..
The Chancellor’s Budget on 26 November didn’t exactly arrive with a bang. After weeks of leaks and “informed guesses,” the main details were already widely expected – and to top…
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Gifting a Holiday Home?
Many property owners are choosing to gift homes to family members, often as part of estate planning strategies. However, when the gift involves a “reservation of benefit”—such as retaining the…
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Dartmoor Hill Pony – For Sale by Private Treaty
Widdicombe Swallow ‘Bear’Date of Birth: 01/05/2021 Key Features: Bear is an excellent prospect for a child’s pony. Friendly and easy to catch, he is a dream to load and lead.…
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