Our Agricultural Team at Oglethorpe Sturton and Gillibrand provide specialist advice for agricultural clients who have been approached by renewable energy developers, and assist them in negotiating the terms upon which renewable energy projects can be incorporated into a working farm without jeopardising the ongoing farming business. No matter how lucrative an approach from a renewable energy developer may be, it is vital to ensure that the documents that a farmer or landowner signs up to specifically cover important issues, such as:
• Only granting rights of access over previously agreed routes
• Only granting the right to take services over specifically agreed routes
• Ensuring that as little of a landowner’s adjoining land as possible is affected by any restrictions, for example no build covenants
• To ensure that the use to which a site may be put is clearly defined in the documentation
If you would like any further advice, please contact John Myers on 01524 846846.
Article published in the Lancaster Guardian 1 October 2015
