Farming

Unions say Welsh Government’s farming plan needs more work

Published

2 years ago

July 14, 2023

AFTER the Senedd passed the Welsh Government’s Agriculture Bill, Wales’s Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths, gave the Senedd an outline of its new Sustainable Farming Scheme on Tuesday, July 12.
The Welsh Government devised the Agriculture Bill to guide how farming and agriculture will be managed in Wales. It will affect the food we eat, the environment, and farmers’ livelihoods.
The program encourages farmers to commit to reducing their carbon footprint, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting natural ecosystems. In exchange, farmers will qualify for financial assistance to offset the costs of implementing these practices.
By incentivizing farmers to adopt sustainable practices, the Welsh Government claims it will enable them to contribute to the long-term stability and sustainability of farms nationwide.
However, the Bill and the Scheme at its heart face challenges and dissent.
The focus on sustainable farming practices will force radical change on farmers. For example, they might need to decrease the use of certain pesticides or fertilizers. While this is likely positive for the land’s long-term health, it will decrease agricultural productivity. This could potentially impact the availability and variety of food produced in Wales.
The Bill’s social and cultural effects on farming communities could also be wide-reaching. Certain types of farming might become less economically viable. If that happens, adverse impacts on the Welsh language and harm to the rural economy and culture are all but inevitable.
The Sustainable Farming Scheme is a “carrot and stick” approach that Ministers hope will help achieve the Agriculture Bill’s broader priorities.
On its face, it aims to support farmers who prioritize sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices on their land.
A key element of the scheme is promoting tree planting. The Welsh Government wants all farmers who get payments from the SFS to use a minimum of 10% for tree planting.
On Tuesday, Lesley Griffiths acknowledged that NEWSsome flexibility would be required about the much-talked-about 10% tree cover requirement, stating that areas unsuitable for tree planting and being considered for exclusion from the total area used to calculate the 10% include existing inappropriate semi-natural habitats, including designated sites, deep peat; unplantable features such as scree and rock outcrops and tenanted land where tenants do not have the authority to plant trees.
However, the 10% tree-planting aim remains part of the scheme’s universal application.
Although farmers generally support the SFS’s aims, it regards the tree-planting element as unachievable, unsustainable, and unrealistic. The plan fails to account for the differing nature of Welsh landscapes, commercial reality and the conditions farmers experience.
NFU Cymru President Aled Jones said: “NFU Cymru remains supportive of Welsh Government’s overarching framework for the SFS arranged around universal, optional and collaborative tiers. Farmers will receive a baseline payment for carrying out universal actions. We are also clear that more work is needed on the universal actions to ensure they work for all active farmers in Wales, irrespective of location, sector and land tenure.
“NFU Cymru is extremely concerned and disappointed that Welsh Government appears to have doubled down on its 10% tree cover target (on areas Welsh Government considers suitable for tree planting) within the universal tier of the proposed scheme.
“In our response to the SFS outline proposals, NFU Cymru highlighted the broad range of issues associated with the 10% tree cover and 10% habitat targets. We remain clear that the challenges around these targets present a real barrier to scheme participation.
“Farmers will be prepared to plant hedges, shelterbelts, streamside corridors and field corners on appropriate areas of their farm but will not plant trees on their productive land.
“It will also be vital that the final consultation provides more detail on what exactly farmers will need to do and crucially what they can expect to be paid.”
“Family farms are the backbone of our rural and wider communities. We must have a scheme which delivers for our economy, landscape, language and culture, whilst also underpinning the top-quality food production, which makes our farmers the cornerstone of a food supply chain which sustains a multi-billion-pound food and drink industry and hundreds of thousands of jobs.”
FUW President Ian Rickman said: “The most important thing is to ensure this scheme is accessible and works for every farm. That includes the transition into the scheme, so any action taken to make that process smoother for farmers is welcome.”
“However,” Mr Rickman continued, “the scheme is at a critical stage. Further progress must result in a practical scheme that delivers economic, environmental and social sustainability and is workable for farms without harming Welsh food production.
“Further concessions are needed to prevent agricultural land important for food production and the sustainability of individual farm businesses from being planted with trees.
“We’ve been clear from the outset that food production and economic viability have to be considered equally to the environmental aspects of this scheme.”
Local MS Sam Kurtz, the Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, said: “The introduction of the SFS is the single most important change to Welsh agriculture in a lifetime, so it’s important that the Welsh Government get it right.
“It must be properly funded and sufficiently attractive to get farmers to sign up for the scheme. If not, everyone loses out: Welsh Government, farmers, the environment, and the Welsh public.
“While the Welsh Government have listened to calls on some aspects, their persistence with the arbitrary 10% tree coverage will cause real concern to Wales’ farmers, especially if it requires transferring food producing land to tree planting.
Suppose the Welsh Government does not provide specific information on why the 10% figure was chosen. In that case, it must be dropped in favour of a more flexible approach. One that considers the different types of farms in Wales and the different, and often better ways, to sequester carbon while producing high quality, environmentally sustainable food.”

Farming

‘Poor decision’ New Creamston housing condition overturned

Published

6 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A “POOR DECISION” agricultural worker-only imposed nearly 40 years ago has been removed from a Pembrokeshire property by county planners.

In an application recommended to be approved at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County council’s planning committee, Tim and Cathy Arthur sought permission for the removal of an agricultural worker-only condition at New Creamson, Creamston Road, near Haverfordwest.

An officer report for members said the agricultural condition was imposed when the dwelling was built in 1988/89, with a later certificate of lawful development granted this year after it was proven the site had been occupied for more than 10 years on breach of that condition.

An application for a certificate of lawfulness allows an applicant to stay at a development if they can provide proof of occupancy over a prolonged period.

Speaking at the meeting, agent Andrew Vaughan-Harries of Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd told members the original agriculture-only condition was a poor decision by planners back nearly four decades ago.

“When this application was made in 1988-89 we go back to the Preseli District Council – I was still in school – it was only a 50-acre farm, it should never have been approved as it shouldn’t have been viable.

“The current applicants have owned it for the last 20 years; they’ve tried to grow apples but couldn’t make a go of it and then went in to holiday lets. We can’t enforce redundant conditions from bad decisions made years ago.”

Approval was moved by Cllr Brian Hall and unanimously supported by committee members.

Business

Cwm Deri Vineyard Martletwy holiday lets plans deferred

Published

20 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

CALLS to convert a former vineyard restaurant in rural Pembrokeshire which had been recommended for refusal has been given a breathing space by planners.

In an application recommended for refusal at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Barry Cadogan sought permission for a farm diversification and expansion of an existing holiday operation through the conversion of the redundant former Cwm Deri vineyard production base and restaurant to three holiday lets at Oaklea, Martletwy.

It was recommended for refusal on the grounds of the open countryside location being contrary to planning policy and there was no evidence submitted that the application would not increase foul flows and that nutrient neutrality in the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC would be achieved within this catchment.

An officer report said that, while the scheme was suggested as a form of farm diversification, no detail had been provided in the form of a business case.

Speaking at the meeting, agent Andrew Vaughan-Harries of Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, after the committee had enjoyed a seasonal break for mince pies, said of the recommendation for refusal: “I’m a bit grumpy over this one; the client has done everything right, he has talked with the authority and it’s not in retrospect but has had a negative report from your officers.”

He said the former Cwm Deri vineyard had been a very successful business, with a shop and a restaurant catering for ‘100 covers’ before it closed two three years ago when the original owner relocated to Carmarthenshire.

He said Mr Cadogan then bought the site, farming over 36 acres and running a small campsite of 20 spaces, but didn’t wish to run a café or a wine shop; arguing the “beautiful kitchen” and facilities would easily convert to holiday let use.

He said a “common sense approach” showed a septic tank that could cope with a restaurant of “100 covers” could cope with three holiday lets, describing the nitrates issue as “a red herring”.

He suggested a deferral for further information to be provided by the applicant, adding: “This is a big, missed opportunity if we just kick this out today, there’s a building sitting there not creating any jobs.”

On the ‘open countryside’ argument, he said that while many viewed Martletwy as “a little bit in the sticks” there was already permission for the campsite, and the restaurant, and the Bluestone holiday park and the Wild Lakes water park were roughly a mile or so away.

He said converting the former restaurant would “be an asset to bring it over to tourism,” adding: “We don’t all want to stay in Tenby or the Ty Hotel in Milford Haven.”

While Cllr Nick Neuman felt the nutrients issue could be overcome, Cllr Michael Williams warned the application was “clearly outside policy,” recommending it be refused.

A counter-proposal, by Cllr Tony Wilcox, called for a site visit before any decision was made, the application returning to a future committee; members voting seven to three in favour of that.

Farming

Farmers Union of Wales Warns: Labour’s 5G Expansion Risks Rural Blackspots

Published

2 days ago

December 3, 2025

Tom Sinclair

FUW Joins Landowners in Urgent Call to Pause Controversial Telecoms Reforms

THE FUW (Farmers’ Union of Wales) has warned that rural communities face worsening mobile blackspots and farmers risk losing essential income if the Labour Government expands a telecoms policy blamed for stalling Britain’s 5G rollout.

In a letter to Digital Economy Minister Liz Lloyd, the FUW aligns with landowners, investors, and property experts demanding a halt to Part 2 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act 2022. Extending the 2017 Electronic Communications Code (ECC) would “entrench failure,” the group argues, sparking more stalled renewals, site losses, and legal battles just as Wales needs swifter rural connectivity.

The 2017 reforms empowered operators to cut mast rents—often by 90%—from hosts like farmers, councils, and NHS trusts. Far from boosting rollout, they’ve ignited over 1,000 tribunal cases since 2017, versus 33 in the prior three decades. Rural goodwill has eroded, with hosts now eyeing exits.

“Every lost mast isolates households, schools, and businesses,” the FUW states. “No public subsidy can fix this systemic damage.”

A survey of 559 hosts (via NFU, CLA, BPF) shows:

35% considering full withdrawal.
70% of expired lease holders facing operator legal threats.

Landowner Ted Hobbs in New Tredegar shares the pain: “My 1995 Vodafone lease was £3,500 yearly, renewed in 2010 at the same rate. It expired May 2025—now they demand a slash, backed by the Code. This is confiscation, not partnership.”

Labour’s push forward—despite earlier opposition and a critical consultation—ignores these red flags.

FUW President Ian Rickman adds: “Farmers hosted masts in good faith for rural connectivity. Punishing them with rent cuts sabotages Wales. Halt this now, restore trust, and incentivise real progress.”

The coalition urges ministers to reopen dialogue before deepening rural divides. Wales can’t afford more policy missteps.