Viewpoint

James

"The agricultural sector is currently grappling with the phase-out of the Basic Payment Scheme and the ever-growing focus on natural capital, the climate emergency, and habitat enhancement. Combined with market forces such as the war in Ukraine, high inflation rates, and rising agricultural costs, farming businesses face a challenging climate and are having to look at new ways to bridge the financial ‘gap’ that is forming.

“But the rural sector is adept at adapting and embracing change and is currently seeing speculative investment funding coming in with an eye on carbon sequestration opportunities, as well as significant changes to the basis for government support, with a growing focus on ecosystem services such as biodiversity net gain. Accessing these new funding opportunities is going to be key to supplementing the returns from food production. Indeed, farmers are increasingly becoming managers of a mixed portfolio of land uses.

“The Agricultural and Landed Estates team at Lodders continues to help clients with the ‘usual’ matters, such as land dealing, succession planning, and partnership arrangements. However, times are changing, and if farming businesses are to thrive, then it is hard to see how some engagement with carbon sequestration, net zero, and biodiversity can be avoided if access to funding is to be achieved or merely due to supply chain pressures.”

James Spreckley

David is synonymous with Lodders and it can often feel like he knows everyone, perhaps not a surprise given his 50 years with Lodders, and his many connections in the Warwickshire community.

"I started life as a property lawyer, acting for a number of clients including a retailer that was acquiring shops at retail parks across the country. I also acted for developers in acquisitions of properties in and around London. One particular property we developed was in Blackfriars – it was a multi-purpose office building that we eventually let out to Network Rail. Having had hands-on involvement in the family farm from a young age, I’ve always had a strong agricultural interest, and when I joined Lodders as a lawyer, I also took on the farm. During calving season, I would often be called away to calve a cow on my lunch break before going back to work at the office in Henley!”

Over the years, Lodders has grown significantly, with offices in Stratford, Cheltenham, Birmingham, and Henley. When David and his fellow partners were developing the business, their aim was to maintain the caring and trustworthy approach the firm’s lawyers were known for. David explains: “The ethos we wanted to foster was very