Agricultural & Rural

Overview

When it comes to rural matters if you are an owner, tenant or if you have any other involvement in the countryside it helps to have a genuine knowledge of the issues.  Our Rural Services Team has been dealing with land owning and farming legal issues for many years, with most of our advisors actually heralding from farming families themselves.

We offer comprehensive legal advice on both non-contentious and contentious aspects of both private client and commercial matters relating to agricultural and rural business clients. We have the strength in depth to advise in relation to very complex farming business issues and the flexibility in being able to address the more obscure problems that rural practice can produce.

Our lawyers have been working on a daily basis in this sector for many years including work on freehold land sales and purchases, Landlord and Tenant (and in particular agricultural holdings and farm business tenancies), town and country planning, Inheritance Tax Planning , litigation with regard to trespass, rights of way and adverse possession and company & partnership work. 

We are committed to providing you with a quality, partner lead service.  4 of our Partners grew up on farms and some of them continue to be actively involved in farming.  We work and live in the agricultural and rural business community and it is important to us to play a supportive role in the fabric of our communities.  As part of this we provide voluntary legal services to Shropshire Rural Support.

Always working in partnership with you we are thorough, focused and committed to exceeding client expectations.

Our Agricultural and Rural Services Solicitors specialise in:

• Agricultural Land Tribunal
• Agricultural Tenancies
• Mediation
• Contract Farming
• Equine Law
• Farm Sales and Purchases
• Farming Contract Disputes
• Fishing Rights
• HolidayLets
• Mineral Rights
• Notices to Quit
• Prosecutions
• Quota Issues
• Single Farm Payments
• Share Farming
• Shooting Rights
• Succession
• Wind Farms
• TelecomTowers

Associated work

• Farm Payment Entitlements and Quotas
• Partnership Agreements and Disputes
• Inheritance Tax Planning
• Dealings with Electricity, Water, Drainage, Gas, Highways and Utility Providers

The Agricultural and Rural Services Team is recommended in the 2012 Legal 500 Directory. "FBC Manby Bowdler LLP has two Fellows of the Agricultural Law Association, in Steven Corfield and Paul Horton, and the team also includes solicitor advocate Niall Blackie. It advised a farming business on refinancing/tax planning for a landed estate with a value over £20m, and also advised on pre-nuptial agreements where the assets included substantial landed estates.

FBC Manby Bowdler’s Agricultural Team has been ranked in Band 1 of the Agricultural & Rural Affairs category of Chambers UK Directory, for Shrewsbury and the surrounding areas, with Steven Corfield and Sarah Baugh particularly recognised.

"This firm has a strong presence in the rural community. It advises clients on a range of matters, including agricultural holdings, tax planning, partnership reorganisations and alternative energy schemes. It is frequently involved in disputes before the ALT."