Frank Smith & Co Solicitors

Welcome to our news page and comments keeping you up to date on matters relevant to our clients.

Is Brexit an opportunity for Britain to reshape its farming?

Ever since the Corn Laws, governments have been telling farmers what to do. Membership of the EU is no exception. With the EU referendum result last June, could this be an opportunity to make a change in farming practices for the better? For example, nearly half of all hill-farmers’ income comes from EU CAP subsidies. …

On Friday 24th February, we attended the Cheltenham Ladies’ College Networking Dinner focussing on the Legal Profession. The event which took place in the Garden Common Room, allowed students to gain an insight into different areas of the legal profession with the aim of helping them to find out which area of the legal profession…

We are pleased to announce that we have moved our specialist law firm business to a new location. From Monday 13th February, our offices will be situated at: 7 Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1QB Located in the centre of Cheltenham, our new premises are still easily accessible for clients and suppliers. It is also within…

Avoid others claiming rights of way over your land

Land owners often approach us with concerns about third parties who claim they have obtained rights of way over private land because they have used the land for many years. Land owners very often do not know these rights even existed and ask us for help in preventing these situations from occurring. Such claims to…

Country estate prosecuted after flanker blinded at shoot

With Boxing Day and the festive season being some of the busiest times of the year for shooting, the following case provides a timely reminder to comply with Health and Safety regulations. The case concerns a sporting and country estate that was sentenced for safety breaches after a worker suffered a life changing injury. The…

Horses are an important part of the rural economy, but because they are generally not considered to be “agricultural” they often present headaches for planning purposes. Agriculture is currently defined in Section 336 (1) of The Town and Country Planning Act 1990, although the definition dates further back to the 1940’s. In terms of horses,…

Farm Business Tenancy Transfer of Shares

When granting a farm business tenancy (FBT) to a company consider restricting the tenant company's ability to transfer shares in the company without the landlord's consent. Whilst unusual to grant a FBT to a company (usually the landowner wants to control the identity of the tenant and therefore grants the tenancy to a named individual),…

Blog

Is Brexit an opportunity for Britain to reshape its farming?

Cheltenham Ladies’ College Networking Dinner

We’ve moved!

Avoid others claiming rights of way over your land

Country estate prosecuted after flanker blinded at shoot

Horses and the Planning System

Farm Business Tenancy Transfer of Shares