Agenda

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed here.

“1.      This Council notes:

a)      That 6,365 agriculture, forestry, and fishing businesses have closed in the past year—more than in any year since quarterly records began in 2017 (ONS).

b)      That the majority of these closures occurred in the first half of the year, following the Chancellor’s October 2024 announcement to slash inheritance tax relief for family farms.

c)       That only 3,190 new businesses were created in the sector during the same period, leaving a net loss of 3,175—evidence of the fastest contraction on record.

2.                This Council believes:

a)      That the Chancellor’s decision to reduce inheritance tax relief has dealt a devastating blow to generational farming families, many of whom now face impossible financial choices.

b)      That this policy was implemented without adequate consultation or impact assessment and has disproportionately harmed rural communities.

c)       That the Government must be held accountable for the consequences of its actions and take immediate steps to reverse the damage.

3.                This Council resolves to:

a)      Condemn the Chancellor’s decision to reduce inheritance tax relief for family farms and call for its urgent reversal;

b)      Demand that the Government introduce emergency support for rural businesses affected by the policy, including transitional relief and access to financial advice;

c)       Request a full impact assessment on rural business viability, to be shared with local authorities and farming unions;

d)      Stand in solidarity with farming families and rural workers and commit to championing their interests at every level of government.”

“1.      This Council notes that:

a)           The Government’s current Planning and Infrastructure Bill makes provision for housing development and infrastructure investment but does not go far enough in ensuring that new and existing homes are adequately protected from the increasing risk of flooding.

b)           Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of flooding events across the UK, placing thousands of households at risk of damage, disruption, and loss.

c)           Local planning authorities are currently restricted in their ability to ensure developments are flood-resilient. For example:

d)           Planning law largely limits councils to considering the management of surface water within the site boundary, with limited powers to require or enforce measures for water once it leaves the site.

e)           Councils cannot always insist on the use of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) or require developers to demonstrate the long-term adequacy of drainage and outflow arrangements into wider catchments.

f)             Once a development is built, responsibility for managing downstream or cumulative flood risk typically falls to local authorities or agencies, without dedicated funding from central government.

2.                This Council believes that:

a)           Flood prevention and resilience must be a central part of all planning and infrastructure decisions, not an afterthought.

b)           Developers must be held accountable not only for water management on-site, but also for the impact their developments have on neighbouring land and communities downstream.

c)           Local authorities should be empowered and properly resourced to require the highest standards of flood resilience in all new developments, and to invest in infrastructure that protects existing communities.

d)           Without stronger measures, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill risks locking in avoidable future costs, damages, and risks for residents and taxpayers.

3.                This Council therefore resolves to:

a)           Write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and the relevant local MPs, calling for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to be amended to:

                                      i.         Strengthen requirements on developers to use robust, sustainable drainage solutions that demonstrate effectiveness both on-site and downstream;

                                     ii.         Give councils clear powers to refuse or condition developments where surface water and flood risk management plans are inadequate beyond the site boundary;

                                   iii.         Provide long-term, ring-fenced funding for councils to invest in flood prevention and resilience measures, including off-site infrastructure;

b)       Work with neighbouring councils, the Local Government Association, and relevant agencies to lobby for stronger national policy on flooding and planning, taking an accumulative view of the risks.