Welcome to InBrief Autumn 2021

Another harvest comes to a close for most farmers, whilst the top fruit harvest is finally underway after a delayed start.  The weather has certainly caused a number of issues this year and to combat this the government firmly has zero carbon emissions on its agenda. On page 4 we look at the issues around Natural Capital for farmers and landowners.

By the time you read this we will have attended the Weald of Kent Ploughing match and we hope the weather will be kind. I think we are all looking forward to attending events and catching up with old friends and contacts. We are anticipating a bumper turn out to our stand, which this year we are sharing with Kreston Reeves.

Recent changes to planning rules will no doubt change the face of our high streets and we look at some of the issues around changes to permitted development rights.

Another lesson of the pandemic has been how much we either love or loathe where we live and if you were lucky enough to have quiet neighbours, then you should be grateful according to recent research.  Whether it is noise, boundary disputes or other issues, these matters can cause a lot of upset for everyone involved and we look at some of the legal issues and how to avoid them escalating.

Other changes which we are likely to see following the pandemic is more multi-generational households and we look at some of the legal issues from a private client perspective to make sure everyone enters into such an arrangement with their eyes open.

Finally, we have taken part in some fantastic charity events over the past few months, in particular Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade which concluded in early September with a farewell weekend and charity auction. This has been a fantastic success for the Heart of Kent Hospice, raising over £312k and we wish our ‘Steam Elmer’ a happy new home – we will miss him brightening up the car park of the Carriage Museum.

We look forward as ever to catching up with you at one of our next events.

John Roberts
Managing Partner