Renewable energy projects are one of the biggest opportunities farmers and landowners can currently consider to generate new income and help reduce their carbon footprint - but the legal side is not as straightforward as it may seem.
Speaking at the Farmers Weekly Conference on Alternative Land Uses last week, Thrings Partner Mark Charter presented a guide to the legal implications that those in the agriculture sector should consider before committing to any project, whether it is solar, wind or biofuel.
During the talk, he addressed how best to approach the initial stages of any venture – such as negotiating heads of terms, agreeing contracts and leases – as well as the need to continually review the financial aspects such as rent and tax, always planning ahead to consider the initiative’s full life-cycle.
Mark’s top tips to ensuring success for farm-based renewable energy project can be found in our Take Five Guides.
Mark Charter, Partner in the Thrings Agriculture team, said: “I am delighted to have been asked to return to the Farmers Weekly Conference and thoroughly enjoyed being able to discuss how best farmers can benefit in the long-term from initiatives such as solar farms and AD plants, whilst protecting their assets and avoiding compromising their ongoing business activities.
“Farmland is among the areas in this country with the highest potential for delivering cleaner energy at scale and landowners increasingly may want to have this at the forefront of their thinking on diversification. We would always recommend that they seek out robust professional advice before signing on the dotted line and it was great to see such a wealth of expertise from across the sector taking to the stage throughout the conference.”
The Thrings Agriculture team is one of the largest and most experienced in the UK. Ranked in Band 1 by Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession and in the Top Tier by Legal 500, the team has been chosen by the NFU to act for its members in more counties than any other firm. Find out more about how we can support farmers, food producers and rural communities on our Information for Farmers page.
