Charles Russell Speechlys’ Landed Estates, Heritage & Agriculture team report from the 167th Great Yorkshire Show

It was our great pleasure to sponsor the Country Land and Business Association (CLA)’s inaugural President’s Breakfast and Panel Discussion at the 167th Great Yorkshire Show on Tuesday 14 July 2026.

Chaired by Gavin Lane CLA President, the panel speakers included Alistair Carmichael - MP and Chair of the EFRA Select Committee, Jeremy Moody – Secretary of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) and Tristram van Lawick who heads up the firms’ Landed Estates, Heritage & Agriculture team with Henry Fea.

We share insights into the lively panel discussion which explored the current political, economic and policy landscape, and its impact on farming and the wider land use sector.

Gavin Lane CLA President, delivered a stark assessment of the pressures facing English farming citing how “climate change is now an operating condition rather than a forecast”, with record warm springs, drought triggers already declared (including in Yorkshire) and crops swinging between flood and drought within a single season. He highlighted how English farmers face an increasingly unlevel playing field compared to their Scottish and Welsh counterparts, who retain substantial direct payments. Whilst defending the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) as a contractual payment for public goods (cleaner water, healthier soils, habitat for nature) rather than a subsidy, he warned that its £100,000 annual cap and limited 2026 budget (£240 million across two windows) mean demand will likely outstrip supply, leaving many farmers, who planned in good faith, without support.

Mr Lane also addressed the wider rural economy, noting North Yorkshire's visitor economy alone is worth £4 billion and supports c38,000 jobs, much of it linked to diversified farm businesses. However, the capping of agricultural and business property relief from IHT has forced succession and investment decisions driven by tax liability rather than business need. Despite the CLA's welcomed increase in the threshold from £1 million to £2.5 million, there is more lobbying to be done.  Mr Lane closed by welcoming a new report to be published by government, envisioning rural Britain's future to 2040 and championed the message that farmers do not seek sympathy, but the conditions to “adapt, invest, employ and produce”. The Future of Rural England Report - GOV.UK was published on 16 July.

Alistair Carmichael MP Chair of the EFRA Select Committee explained why Committee members are touring agricultural shows this summer – they want to hear directly from farmers and rural communities. He highlighted two current inquiries: the future of upland farming (landscapes characterised by dramatic scenery, high carbon storage, and significant livestock farming) and the impact of wildfires, noting the deep overlap given farming's exposure to a changing climate. On wildfires, he noted the Committee's call for evidence had generated an exceptional response with 70% from private individuals, mostly farmers, shepherds, gamekeepers and estate workers, who conveyed frustration at being excluded from management decisions. Mr Carmichael endorsed the importance of bringing rural communities along on climate action, so they do not feel change is done "to them" rather than "with them".

Jeremy Moody Secretary of CAAV highlighted how the Government's Farming Roadmap 2050 - GOV.UK published on 24 June, confirms a decisive shift: the state is stepping back from direct intervention, ending decades of area payments that rewarded land occupation rather than productivity. As the Roadmap puts it, "subsidies are not a route to profitability" — he explained how public money will increasingly target only public goods, with the regulatory baseline rising to cover what was once subsidised. For him, the message for farm businesses is clear: farmers must take charge of their own destiny rather than wait on government direction. That means improving productivity, building resilience (soils, drainage, irrigation) and managing risk. He noted diversification and nature markets may help some, but they're not a silver bullet; the core business remains “farming as a business”. 

Tristram van Lawick Partner at Charles Russell Speechlys provided a clear and positive mandate for farms and estates wanting to prepare for change and/or avoid hasty deadline-driven decisions that may not serve long-term interests though the firm’s approach to a Whole Estate Plan.

“Estates best equipped to handle change aren't those that predict the future most accurately, but those with a clear understanding of their history, current position, and future ambitions”.

He explained how a Whole Estate Plan can serve multiple purposes: a governance and management benchmarking tool, a framework helping trustees make confident decisions while managing beneficiary expectations, a policy document for engaging tenants and employees and a PR tool demonstrating the estate's values, amid growing public scrutiny of private land ownership. 

Closing remarks 

Taken together, the four speakers painted a consistent picture: the sector's future will be shaped less by waiting for government direction than by farmers, advisers and landowners taking control of what they can influence. 

As the Whole Estate Plan approach illustrates, the process of planning for the next 30, 50 or 100 years — bringing together vision, governance, engagement with policy makers and embracing environmental responsibility — is itself going to be as valuable to rural businesses as any single reform emerging from Westminster. 

To discuss any of these themes further and for more detail on our approach to the Whole Estate Plan please be in touch with our Landed Estates, Heritage & Agriculture team.