Farming
Link subsidies to infrastructure call
THE WELSH GOVERNMENT should consider ensuring future public subsidies to landowners such as farmers are conditional on them allowing mobile phone masts on their land, according to a National Assembly Committee.
A new report from the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee calls on the Welsh Government to consider innovative ways to connect the last 4% of Wales without broadband access, and to consider reforming the planning regime to improve mobile phone coverage across the country.
Other recommendations from the report include:
- The Welsh Government should consider establishing a repayable grant or equity scheme to allow small operators to fill broadband gaps
- The hardest to reach 4% of communities and individuals living without broadband connectivity should be engaged in the process so that solutions are tailored to their needs
- The Welsh Government should reform the planning regime to allow the installation of telecoms masts that cover a wider geographical range
- OFCOM needs to use all its regulatory powers to meet its target of 100% mobile coverage and, as a minimum, this should be a condition of future auctions of the right to transmit
Committee Chair Russell George AM said: “Connectivity is no longer a ’nice-to-have’ in our daily lives; for many people and businesses we spoke to during our inquiry, it’s now considered an essential service – like electricity.
“Wales’ landscape and population spread poses challenges in a world where market forces determine broadband and mobile phone coverage.
“While the Welsh Government’s Superfast Cymru broadband scheme, delivered with BT – has connected high numbers of people, there remain pockets it has not be able to reach, and this is echoed with mobile phone coverage.
“Our recommendations will help Wales to develop a digital infrastructure which is as fast and as reliable as other parts of the UK, and is fit for the future.”
“Mobile phone operators must step forward with a business proposal in order to ensure they meet their universal coverage obligation,” said Charles Trotman, the CLA’s Rural Business and Economy Advisor in response to the Committee’s report.
Responding to the Committee’s message that the siting of mobile phone masts should be condition for land subsidy, Mr Trotman said: “Operators are responsible for developing their infrastructure strategy including where masts and other facilities are located. Their strategy will logically be driven by their commercial priorities. The Government has the option of driving development in less economic locations to meet its own commitments to supporting the rural community.”
“We welcome the conclusions of the report which refers to mobile coverage as an essential service,” Mr Trotman continued. “Delivering coverage to the rural community is essential for landowners who run a diversity of businesses, vital to the local economy, employing a high proportion of rural people in Wales.”
“A structure exists which enables mobile phone operators to work with landowners to meet their obligation to ensure Wales is connected. It is crucial that the telecoms industry take action.
“Government has a role to play in ensuring service-providers meet their obligations and to ensure that the Welsh community receives a fair deal in terms of quality of service and in sharing the value of providing the necessary infrastructure.”
He added: “Government also has a role to play in developing planning regulations to facilitate and accelerate the process to install the infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, farmers and landowners in Wales who are approached about accommodating new Emergency Services Network (ESN) masts on their land are being urged to take advice from their agent before making any commitment.
The Home Office is planning to set up and install a number of telecommunications sites in Wales to support the transition of the ESN from the current Airwave system to the new 4G system being provided by mobile operator EE.
“This involves the deployment of large steel lattice masts or monopole structures in an enclosed compound,” explained land agent Kathryn Williams at Davis Meade Property Consultants.
“The apparatus is likely to be between 15m and 20m in height, to be confirmed by site survey, and the enclosed ground based compound will be roughly 10m x 10m.
Telecoms infrastructure service provider Clarke Telecom is negotiating heads of terms on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government on behalf of the Crown (the Tenant).
“We are encouraging landowners that are approached about the installation of an ESN mast to take professional advice in relation to the Heads of Terms negotiations, particularly as agents fees are covered by the Secretary of State up to an agreed cap,” Kathryn explained.
“There are many clauses that are site specific, such as connecting the electricity supply and the installation of access tracks and roads, and these need to be carefully considered,” she added.
Farming
Farmers’ Union recognises lifelong success of leading business founders
THE Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) presented its ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ to the founders of a leading North Wales business during a special dinner held at the Kinmel Hotel, Abergele, on Friday, November 8, 2024.
Gareth and Falmai Roberts, founders of the popular yoghurt business Llaeth Y Llan, started their venture in 1985 from a converted cow shed at their farmhouse in Llannefydd, Denbighshire – with the first product trials carried out at the back of their airing cupboard!
Over the past three decades, the business has gone from strength to strength. In 1995, they moved to a modern dairy designed and built using a disused barn and other farm buildings. By 2015, with their brand stocked across Wales in four major retailers and dozens of independent shops, the old dairy had reached full capacity. A larger production facility was designed and built on the Roberts’ farm and was officially opened in 2017 by Lesley Griffiths MS, the then Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs.
The business combines traditional values with modern techniques, producing 14 different yoghurt flavours using Welsh milk sourced from the local area. The yoghurt is sold across Wales and England, with the business having already won the Food Producer of the Year award at the inaugural Wales Food and Drink Awards in 2022.
The FUW Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Gareth and Falmai Roberts by FUW President Ian Rickman. The evening also featured entertainment from operatic baritone John Ieuan Jones.
Ian Rickman, President of the Farmers’ Union of Wales, said: “The Farmers’ Union of Wales was unanimous in recognising Gareth and Falmai’s incredibly successful business, and we were delighted to host this dinner to honour their achievements and present this award to them.
From producing their first yoghurt pot to their current success as one of Wales’ most renowned food producers, Llaeth Y Llan is an outstanding example of Welsh entrepreneurship, with local farming and food production at the heart of their success.
I congratulate them on this well-deserved achievement, and I have no doubt that their business will continue to grow from strength to strength.”
Proceeds from the dinner and the highly successful auction will be donated to the Dai Jones Memorial Appeal Fund, administered by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.
Farming
Farmers fight back: Inheritance tax row at Welsh Labour conference
THE Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, Conwy, on Saturday (Nov 16) became the backdrop for a large and impassioned protest by farmers opposing the Labour government’s controversial inheritance tax changes. Hundreds of farmers descended on the venue with tractors and vehicles, voicing their frustration at what they describe as policies that will devastate rural communities and family farms.
The protest was a coordinated effort by Digon yw Digon (“Enough is Enough”), a group advocating for rural communities. Protesters carried signs reading “Labour War on Countryside” and “No Farmers No Food,” while tractors lined the promenade outside Venue Cymru.
Starmer’s absence deepens anger
Farmers had hoped to confront Prime Minister Keir Starmer directly and present their concerns. However, Starmer avoided the protesters, leaving the venue without meeting them. This decision was sharply contrasted by the actions of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who earlier this year attended the Welsh Conservative Conference and took time to speak with farmers about their challenges.
One farmer remarked, “Starmer didn’t have the guts. He left without facing us.”
The farmers’ message
In lieu of a direct meeting, the farmers delivered a strongly worded letter addressed to Starmer, outlining their grievances:
“Dear Prime Minister,
Croeso i Gymru,
Today you can see the depth of feeling and concerns that you are creating as the PM of this country towards the rural areas and farming community.
The outcome of your Budget highlights the government’s incapacity to look at the position as a whole rather than a tick-box exercise to fulfill your selfless ambition.
The inheritance tax debacle highlights this case. This new tax represents a considerable challenge not only for farmers but also the broader agricultural sector. The £1 million threshold is alarmingly low, and many farmers will face impossible decisions to sell portions of their land to cover these costs. This will affect the smaller family farm the most.”
Why farmers are protesting
The changes announced in the Autumn Budget include:
- A new 20% inheritance tax on farms valued over £1 million.
- Modifications to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR), effective from April 2026.
Farmers fear these changes will force many family-run farms to sell land, leading to reduced food production and driving up food prices.
Becky Wall, a farmer at the protest, made an emotional appeal:
“Please support our farmers; they work hard over long hours to feed us. Without them, we have no food. These changes will also impact small businesses connected to farming, posing a serious threat to our economy and our bellies.”
Rural Wales under pressure
The letter also highlighted the cumulative challenges faced by Welsh farmers, including the draconian impact of Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) regulations, increasing incidences of bovine tuberculosis (TB), and uncertainty surrounding the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).
“This cumulative approach has created despair in the countryside,” the letter continued. “As food supplies decrease, it will become more expensive, and the poorest in society will suffer the most.”
Gareth Wyn Jones, a farmer and broadcaster, expressed the emotional toll on rural communities:
“They’re destroying an industry already on its knees mentally, emotionally, and physically. We need government support, not hindrance, to feed the nation. Enough is enough.”
A strike as a last resort
As frustration boils over, some farmers have announced plans to go on strike starting Sunday. While economically challenging, the strike reflects the growing anger in the countryside.
The protest in Llandudno is part of a larger movement, with a major demonstration planned for Westminster next Tuesday. The event has already drawn so much support that its location was moved from Trafalgar Square to accommodate the expected turnout.
Starmer defends budget
Inside the conference, Starmer defended the Budget, describing it as a tough but necessary measure to stabilise the economy:
“Make no mistake, I will defend our decisions in the Budget all day long. Tough decisions were necessary to protect the payslips of working people, fix the foundations of our economy, and invest in the future of Wales and Britain.”
Starmer also hailed Labour’s collaboration between Westminster and the Welsh government as a “gamechanger,” promising that communities in Wales would benefit from Labour-led governments pulling in the same direction.
Investments and promises
Despite the protests, the conference included announcements of major investments:
- A £160 million investment zone for Flintshire and Wrexham, described by Starmer as a turning point for the region’s economy.
- An additional £22 million to tackle NHS waiting lists in Wales, adding to the £28 million pledged earlier this year.
- A record £21 billion Budget allocation for Wales in 2025.
First Minister Eluned Morgan touted the “power in partnership” between the two Labour governments and emphasised their commitment to delivering for Welsh communities.
Farmers and rural advocates insist that their voices will not be ignored. The inheritance tax changes have become a flashpoint for broader frustrations with government policies affecting rural areas.
As the protest letter concluded: “Prime Minister, we ask that you revisit the whole approach to farming and rural communities as a matter of urgency. This is a last resort, but growing anger in the countryside has brought us here. The one thing Labour has achieved is uniting farmers, businesses, and rural communities against these policies.”
With protests expected to intensify in the coming days, the farming community’s fight for their livelihoods and the future of rural Wales continues.
Farming
Welsh Government could overturn Ceredigion cattle breeder’s house plans
A CEREDIGION councillor-backed scheme by one of the top breeders of Limousin cattle in the UK to build a home near Lampeter could be overturned following a call for it to be decided by Welsh Government, planners heard.
At the October meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, the application, by Mr and Mrs Dylan Davies for a four-bedroom rural enterprise workers’ dwelling at Blaenffynnon, Llanwnnen, Lampeter, where they run a calving and cattle rearing business, was backed despite an officer recommendation for refusal.
One of the issues in the report for members was the financial test of whether the scheme was affordable, based on an estimate the building would cost some £292,000 to construct; at a 25-year mortgage amounting to £20,400 a year.
The size of the proposed building – which the applicants say include a need to entertain and occasionally accommodate clients – was also given as a reason for failing the TAN6 policy test, being larger than affordable housing guidance, at 202 square metres rather than a maximum of 136.
Members have previously heard the applicant breeds high-value show cattle for embryo transplanting at the well-established business, with one bull alone selling for £32,000 last year.
It had previously been recommended for refusal at the September meeting, but was deferred for a ‘cooling-off’ period to seek further details along with potential changes to the size of the scheme.
At the October meeting, members backed approval despite officers saying the size proposed could actually include a two-person bungalow in addition to the normal maximal ‘affordable’ size.
At the start of the November meeting, members heard a request for the scheme to be ‘called-in’ for Welsh Government final decision had been made, meaning Ceredigion planners’ approval could potentially be overturned if the ‘call-in’ is agreed.
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