A Government package offering free planning advice for farmers who want to diversify has been welcomed by Sussex-based farming
advisor Peter Silk.
Mr Silk, of the farming and rural business group of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, said farmers would be entitled to a day of a planning consultant's time, worth up to £800, for a feasibility study to help them apply for a grant under the Rural Enterprise Scheme.
He said: "Farmers may well want to move from traditional crop or livestock production into different forms of farming or activities completely outside farming, such as tourism.
"This advice will help farmers with the important first step of understanding and satisfying the requirements of the planning system.
"The standard package will fund a site visit, an initial planning feasibility study, including advice on local planning consents required for their diversification projects, and site plans and sketches."
Details are available in a leaflet from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
or on the department's web site.
Once farmers have their application approved, they are helped by a consultant from one of four approved professional bodies - the Royal Town Planning Institute, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, British Institute of Agricultural Consultants or the Royal Institute of British Architects.
The costs involved will be reimbursed by DEFRA.
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