IHT: Potential Reforms and the Need for Strategic Planning for Farms and Estates

Reports of recent discussions in Westminster have brought inheritance tax (IHT) back into focus, particularly its impact on smaller farms and rural estates. While nothing has been confirmed, speculation includes a potential increase to the agricultural property relief threshold – possibly up to £5 million for individuals or £10 million for a married couple. Even with these potential changes, larger estates and farming businesses would still face significant IHT liabilities.

The government appears willing to consider a compromise, but for many farmers and landowners, the situation remains complex and challenging.

Why Is Understanding Asset Ownership So Important?

During this time of uncertainty, it’s critical for landowners to understand what they own – and that means far more than land and property. Machinery, equipment, and other assets all form part of the estate and need to be factored into planning. A clear picture of your assets ensures that decisions around gifting or succession are fully informed.

How Can Lifetime Gifting Support Succession Planning?

There are murmurs that the government may be considering extending the Potentially Exempt Transfer (PET) period from seven years to possibly ten. Lifetime gifting of farm or estate assets through PETs can be a valuable tool for succession and IHT planning, helping families manage future liabilities and transfer assets efficiently.

Even with guidance from your solicitor and accountant on the legal and financial aspects, it’s just as important to consider the real-world and personal impacts of transferring assets across generations. Decisions on when and how to make a gift often depend on wider factors such as affordability, operational feasibility, and family dynamics. Gifts made without careful planning can lead to complications around management, governance, and family relationships. Thoughtful consideration and professional guidance are key to ensuring that lifetime gifting achieves its intended benefits while minimising potential risks.

How Can You Avoid Common Pitfalls in Gifting?

One critical aspect to consider is ensuring there is no “reservation of benefit.” The Gifts with Reservation of Benefit (GROB) rules require that once an asset has been transferred, the donor no longer derives any benefit from it. For instance, if a donor continues to live in a house they have already gifted, HMRC may treat the arrangement as invalid for IHT purposes. To avoid this, it’s important to establish a bona fide legal tenancy agreement, ensure market rent is paid, and maintain proper documentation.

Additionally, when dividing assets among multiple family members, it’s vital to address potential governance issues. Shared ownership can lead to conflicts if not managed properly. Establishing clear agreements and structures can help mitigate these risks.

What About the Financial Viability for Recipients?

Owning assets comes with ongoing responsibilities. Maintenance, repairs, and regulatory compliance can quickly add up, and not every recipient may have the resources to manage these costs. It’s important to ensure that the person receiving the assets can sustain the financial and practical demands associated with them. This step helps ensure that gifts are sustainable and that the farm or estate can continue to operate effectively across generations.

How Could SDLT Changes Affect Planning?

Alongside IHT, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) continues to be an area of potential change. There is speculation that future reforms could alter how SDLT applies to farm property transfers and sales. While nothing has been confirmed, it’s an area where careful planning can make a significant difference, particularly for families looking to restructure ownership or transfer land between generations.

Why Is Proactive Planning More Important Than Ever?

While speculation about potential inheritance tax reforms continues, it remains vital for farmers and landowners to focus on proactive estate planning. Understanding the value and structure of your assets – from land and property to machinery and other business assets – is the first step in developing a strategy that works under current regulations while remaining adaptable to future changes.

At Ceres Property, we support our clients in navigating these complexities. From valuing assets and structuring gifts to succession planning and family governance, our team ensures that your estate strategy is robust, realistic, and aligned with your long-term objectives.

The ongoing discussions around IHT have sparked generational conversations that might never have occurred during the transferor’s lifetime. While potential reforms remain uncertain, the fact that these topics are being openly discussed is itself a positive development for farming families.

If you are considering how potential changes might affect your estate, or want to ensure your current plans are future-proof, Ceres Property is here to help. Our experts provide tailored guidance to support you through these evolving discussions.

Contact Us:

Anna Loweth
anna.loweth@ceresproperty.co.uk
07599 110 034

Edward Rout
edward.rout@ceresproperty.co.uk
07511 878 264

Michael Anderson
michael.anderson@ceresproperty.co.uk
07792 132 417

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Sam has been a professional member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors since 2013. Raised on a mixed farm in Northamptonshire, he has a background firmly rooted in agriculture. With nearly 20 years’ experience in the property sector, he specialises in advising landowners on their strategic land opportunities, working primarily across the Midlands.

His agricultural upbringing, combined with extensive industry knowledge, enables him to provide informed, commercially focused advice that reflects both the practical and long-term interests of landowners. Specialising in strategic land with a focus on industrial and logistics, as well as large-scale residential development and associated professional consultancy work, Sam has been involved in many significant development schemes across the UK.

Key projects include the acquisition of the former Stewartby brickworks in Bedfordshire, with outline consent for 1,000 residential units and located adjacent to the proposed Universal Studios site; the sale of serviced development parcels forming part of the recently redeveloped Ironbridge Power Station; and numerous residential sites across the Midlands capable of delivering in excess of 10,000 homes. He has also recently advised landowners on more than 2,000 acres of prime industrial land along the A14 and M1 corridors, with the potential to deliver approximately 14 million sq ft of industrial development.

Sam acts for a wide range of clients including landowners, developers, institutions, estates, trusts, investors and land promoters. Before joining Ceres, he was a Partner at Newmark (formerly Gerald Eve).

Outside of work, Sam remains closely involved with the family farm and is currently attempting to instil some discipline into his new Labrador puppy, Squid.

Laurence is a graduate surveyor in the Land Consultancy team, with a year of previous experience working in a national property firm. Laurence graduated from the Royal Agricultural University in 2023 and is now working towards becoming a fully chartered member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Laurence works on a variety of projects with a particular focus on landlord and tenant matters, planning and development, and property sales.

Outside of work, Laurence can be found training for endurance events, playing golf or fishing the rivers of Scotland where he was brought up.

Nigel is a Chartered Surveyor with almost 30 years of experience and is a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers.

Nigel’s experience has spanned the entire UK on some of the largest landed estates in the country as well as within national firms. Nigel is a strategic thinker and specialises in dealing with complex matters and turning the performance of rural businesses around, spotting and utilising opportunities including rural diversification, development and renewable energy. Nigel also has significant experience in selling and buying land and acted for Champagne Taittinger on the first purchase of land in the UK by a Champagne House.

Having previously served in The Parachute Regiment Nigel likes to keep fit and has ran the London Marathon several times.

Ben joined Ceres Property in September 2025 as a Graduate Surveyor, after completing his studies at the University of Reading with a BSc in Real Estate Development and Planning. He is currently working towards his APC, with the aim of qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor, and is eager to broaden his experience across the development sector.

Outside of work, Ben enjoys an active lifestyle, frequently attending the gym, playing golf, and running.

Dominic is an Associate Partner within the planning and development leadership team. With over 15 years’ experience in consultancy and client-side development, he specialises in strategic planning, site promotion, and the delivery of complex, mixed-use schemes across London and the South East.

He began his career at several of the UK’s leading property advisory firms, advising developers, landowners, investors, and public-sector bodies on planning strategy and land promotion. He then moved into a senior leadership role at a major mixed-use developer, where he oversaw portfolio growth, led planning strategy, and secured consents for high-profile regeneration projects.

At Ceres, Dominic combines consultancy insight with development expertise to support clients across the full lifecycle. His strategic yet practical approach helps unlock value, navigate complex planning processes, and deliver sustainable, commercially focused outcomes.

Annabel is highly experienced in Estate Management, having worked in the industry for over 15 years being a Chartered Surveyor as well as a Fellow of the Central Association for Agricultural Valuers. Annabel studied Rural Estate and Land Management at Harper Adams University and moved to East Anglia in 2010, where she has managed a number of estates across Norfolk and Suffolk. She specialises in strategic estate management, dealing with landlord and tenant matters as well as property management and exploring diverse revenue streams.

Away from work, Annabel has a busy family life enjoying her children’s hobbies as well as spending time playing tennis, riding, skiing and getting outdoors as much as possible.

Miles holds an undergraduate degree in History & French from Cardiff University and previously worked in rural recruitment before switching over to pursue a career in Rural Surveying. Alongside his role at Ceres Property, he is undertaking a Master's degree at Harper Adams University whilst working towards sitting his APC.

With a strong connection to the countryside, Miles is particularly interested in rural affairs. Outside of work, he is a keen game and clay shot and is a big Bath Rugby fan.

Anna previously worked as a secretary for both a major accountancy firm and a national construction company. She also worked as SEN support at her local village school. More recently Anna has worked in property management, liaising with clients, tenants, and contractors.

Anna is very pleased to be part of the Ceres team and is the first point of contact for clients at the new office in Yattendon.

Away from the office she enjoys listening to live music, especially a trip to Ronnie Scott’s, holidays on remote Greek islands, good food and wine.

Vivi is a Graduate Planner with almost two years of previous experience working for a local planning consultancy. Vivi graduated from the University of Bayreuth with a BA (Hons) in African Development Studies in Geography in 2021. She is now working towards her Chartered Town Planner Master’s Degree Apprenticeship and becoming a fully chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Over the past couple of years, Vivi has developed her expertise through involvement in various projects, ranging from local plan promotions to reserved matters applications.

In her spare time, Vivi enjoys staying active and regularly signs up for sprint triathlons, but often evenings are simply spent with a cup of tea and an episode of the bake-off or a game of Catan.

Millie provides top-notch support to the Ceres Group marketing function. New to the industry, she is continuously learning and expanding on her marketing knowledge in the property and rural sectors. A countryside fan, Millie and her dog, Dollie, love to go exploring. In her free time, she also enjoys going out with her friends.

Jennifer is an accomplished marketing professional with over a decade of experience working with national brands and creative agencies. She began her career in retail marketing, holding roles at White Stuff and Sainsbury’s, where she developed her expertise in campaign planning and customer engagement.

Before joining the team, Jennifer led new business and marketing at a digital agency, where she championed client strategy, brand development, and business growth across a diverse range of sectors.

With a degree in English Literature from Oxford Brookes University, Jennifer brings a creative mindset and commercial insight to help brands tell their stories in impactful and authentic ways.

Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys life by the sea with her young family. She makes the most of coastal living with beach days, paddleboarding, and long walks with her Cocker Spaniel, Sam.

Laura grew up on the family farm in Lincolnshire and started bookkeeping for them when her children were born. Laura currently works part-time for a busy mixed farm and other property clients as their bookkeeper and general office support.

Outside of work Laura is kept busy by two teenage children and Milo the dog! Laura enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Sav has over 20 years planning experience in both the public and private sector. He joined Ceres Property in June 2025 having spent the previous 12 years based in Cambridge working for the City Council, as part of the Cambridge Investment Partnership, and then latterly for a private consultancy providing planning advice to a range of clients.

Having originally worked in local government, Sav has developed a strong framework and understanding of planning law including an appreciation for the complexities of local government procedures and politics. This experience has helped Sav to clearly work through issues and provide effective solutions to deliver results for his clients.

He has a track record of working on an extensive range and scale of commercial and residential projects. His recent experience includes working on major residential developments, rural diversification projects, certificate of lawfulness applications, Permission In Principle schemes, and education developments and large renewable projects.

In his spare time, he enjoying being creative in the kitchen and perfecting the art of coffee marking using coffee beans from around the world. Sav is also an avid football fan and follows the best football team in the land.

Jeremy has nearly 30 years of experience in advising private and institutional land owning clients in the East Midlands.

His commercial focus to his advice assists clients to navigate the regulatory and fiscal challenges of land and property ownership, identifying income and capital generating opportunities to address those challenges.

He specialises in identifying and delivering planning and development opportunities for small and large scale residential, commercial and renewable energy developments. Working closely with the development team in the last 10 years he has secured development and promotion partners for opportunities ranging from 5 to 2,000 acres.

For the last 8 years Jeremy has advised landowners on commercial terms on a range of renewable energy technologies including anaerobic digestion, wind, solar, battery storage for schemes ranging from 25 MW to 1GW.

Outside of work, Jeremy is a keen cyclist and gardener, enjoying spending time with his family and not sitting still… for too long.

Born and bred in Stamford, Bethan is excited to be part of a great team and to bring Ceres' services to her hometown. In her role at Ceres, she helps to provide a premium service by keeping the office running smoothly, with a particular focus on managing team schedules and travel - an area of expertise developed through years of global travel. Having lived full-time in Australia, Canada, and France, Bethan has explored and immersed herself in cultures across Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia.

Outside of work, Bethan is an avid skier with an ambitious goal to ski on every continent—three down so far!

Anna is an experienced chartered surveyor with over 16 years experience operating throughout the East Midlands in a national property firm.

Anna is a RICS Registered valuer and specialises in the valuation of rural and residential property for secured lending, taxation and accounting purposes for private clients, charities, lenders and institutions. Anna has also undertaken her RICS Expert Witness Training and is able to undertake dispute resolution and litigation valuation advice.

Anna also provides professional advice to clients in respect of their estates, land, farm and business management interests and her experience allows her to offer comprehensive guidance across a variety of property-related and Landlord and Tenant matters.

Anna is a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers and sits on the Midlands Association Council.

Andrew is a farm business consultant with over 20 years of experience in helping farmers and landowners achieve the objectives they set for their property assets. Driven by a passion for the long-term stewardship of the rural environment and the pursuit of profitable enterprises, he enjoys bringing fresh, innovative ideas to established businesses. He has been fortunate to be involved with several diverse ventures, from vineyards to a wild trout fishery, and associated chalk stream restoration work.

A graduate of Agricultural Business Management from the University of Reading, Andrew is also a Chartered Surveyor, and serves as a Fellow and Council Member of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers.

In his personal life, Andrew enjoys the ongoing challenge of renovating his family home and garden; a test of creativity and patience.

James provides a broad range of Land Consultancy advice to clients with a particular focus on Let Property for Agricultural, Commercial and Residential lease types. James is an RICS registered valuer and qualified agricultural valuer. Since graduating in 2017, James has acted for a range of private clients with instructions ranging from the management of large mixed estate portfolios to one-off consultancy instructions for telecom lease renewals, planning advice and the sale of land and property.

Outside of work James enjoys walking his dog, Ollie, or riding his motorbike at local events. When at home he is usually in the garage restoring his Triumph Spitfire.

Ellie is a Graduate Surveyor in the Land Consultancy team. Ellie graduated from Newcastle University in 2023 with a Biology Degree and has since completed a master’s degree in Rural Estate and Land Management at Harper Adams University. Ellie is working towards her CAAV qualifications and becoming a Chartered member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Ellie works on a variety of projects with a particular focus on Estate Management.

Outside of work, Ellie enjoys playing hockey for her local club and catching up with friends and family.

Grace is a Graduate Surveyor in the Land Consultancy team, with two years of experience at a national property firm. She graduated with a Geography degree from the University of Reading in 2022 and has since completed a Master's degree in Rural Estate and Land Management at Harper Adams University. Currently, Grace is working towards becoming a Chartered Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Her work spans a range of projects, with a particular focus on estate management and renewable energy.

Outside of work, Grace can be found on the ski slopes, attempting to run a personal best, or baking sweet treats!

Will is an experienced chartered surveyor with over 10 years in the industry specialising in private client estate management. In conjunction with day-to-day estate management, Will has a broad range of experience delivering a variety of diversification projects, handling Landlord & Tenant matters and inheritance tax planning.

Outside of work, Will is an avid horse rider during the winter months and kept busy with a young family.

Edward is an experienced chartered surveyor with over 14 years in the industry and is a RICS Registered Valuer. He is also a Fellow of the Central Association for Agricultural Valuers, underscoring his expertise in the field.

Specialising in strategic land and property advice, Edward works with both landlords and tenants, providing tailored solutions in areas such as valuation (for tax, secured lending, or agency-led purposes), compulsory purchase and compensation, and renewable development schemes. His extensive skillset allows him to offer comprehensive guidance across a variety of property-related matters. Edward also manages a diverse portfolio of projects, ensuring each is handled with the highest level of expertise.

Outside of work, Edward enjoys spending quality time with his family, assisting on his in-laws' farm, and actively contributing to the Chelmsford Hockey Club as a coach for U8 and U10 teams. He is also passionate about shooting, skiing, and keeping busy with a variety of activities.

Jen is a qualified Chartered Town Planner with over 14 years experience. Jen has a wide range of experience having worked as a consultant in both London and the Eastern region, as well as working for a national housebuilder. These varied roles allow Jen to adapt quickly and provide sound and well-rounded planning advice to her clients.

Jen’s experience includes major strategic project work from promotion to delivery; advising on planning strategy; planning applications; regularising planning positions; and rural diversification projects. Away from the office Jen enjoys interior design and creative projects, coffee and fitness challenges. Jen has a young family and enjoys spending as much time as she can with them, usually on a dog walk around the farm.

Jess is an Associate with nine years of experience previously working at a central London planning consultancy. During this time, she has undertaken a wide range of projects, including employment and residential developments. Jess is a chartered Town Planner, having completed an undergraduate degree in Law from the University of Leeds and a Masters in Town and Regional Planning from the University of Sheffield.

In her free time, Jess enjoys spending time with her family, doing craft projects and going to the theatre.

Following a move to London early in her working life, Denise has spent more than half her career working for property consultancies as a PA and Team support and has worked previously with most of the Ceres Planning team. Her free time is spent mainly with her husband and daughter. A relatively new interest is upcyclying furniture, although there never seems to be enough hours in the day. She does however find enough hours to watch other people on social media upcycling furniture!!

Jessie is an Associate within the Land Consultancy team and specialises in a range of consultancy matters including estate management, valuation advice and landlord and tenant matters. She obtained her degree from Harper Adams University in Rural Enterprise and Land Management, after which she worked at a national property firm in Chelmsford for three years. Jessie qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2023 and is working towards achieving her Central Association of Agricultural Valuers fellowship.

Outside of work, Jessie enjoys being outdoors and is always planning her next road trip. She is an avid runner and enjoys hiking, netball and horse riding.

Kathryn is a Chartered Surveyor in the Land Consultancy team. Kathryn graduated from the University of Birmingham with a Law Degree in 2021 and has since completed a Masters Degree in Rural Estate and Land Management from Harper Adams University. Kathryn works on a variety of projects with a particular focus on estate management and landlord and tenant matters.

Karen has spent the majority of her working life in customer facing, PA or admin support roles. She thrives on organisation and providing exceptional support. She is pro active and always ready to lend a hand.

Outside of work, she mostly enjoys spending time with her family – husband, three children and Bob the dog and socialising with friends. She is an avid runner and gym goer, and regularly visits the beautiful Lake District exploring and ticking off the Wainrights! She also enjoys travels and holidaying with her family and friends.

Sam is an Associate Partner within the Planning Team. He has over 20 years’ of experience in planning, including in both the public sector and, for the last 10 years, private consultancy. Sam was formerly lead officer in the successful preparation of a local authorities’ suite of Development Plan documents. He has considerable experience in a range of planning areas, with particular specialisms including strategic site promotion; progressing sites through the plan-making process to allocation in the Local Plan; providing evidence on housing land supply; participating in Local Plan examinations; and giving evidence in S78 appeals. Sam also has extensive experience with Green Belt matters, including demonstrating very special circumstances to securing planning consent for development in the Green Belt on appeal. He is a chartered Town Planner, member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Outside of work, Sam has a passion for football, both playing (with a highlight being winning the RTPI East of England 2024 tournament Fair Play Moment award!), as well as watching his beloved Notts County when he gets the chance. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters.

Having undertaken work experience at Ceres Property, Dan is now a Graduate Planner, assisting with an array of planning projects differing in scale, complexity and use. Dan graduated from the University of Sheffield with a MPlan Urban Studies and Planning degree, and is now working towards becoming a fully chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. In his spare time, Dan enjoys both playing and watching football, as well as planning his next opportunity to travel with his partner.

Jack has over seven years' experience working as a Town Planner in East Anglia. For the majority of Jack's career, he has provided consultancy to the private sector. Jack has a diverse workstream, including major/minor residential, educational and transport schemes. His varied client base includes house builders, landowners, contractors, local authorities, promoters and care operators. Jack has successfully helped clients secure consent on a range of complicated planning applications. He has supported promotion of strategic land as part of various local plans. He is a Chartered Town Planner and a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Outside of work Jack enjoys playing tennis, running and gardening.

Izzy is a Graduate Planner with almost two years of previous experience working for a planning consultancy team in a national property firm. Izzy graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BA (Hons) Geography degree in 2022. She is now working towards her Chartered Town Planner Masters Degree Apprenticeship and becoming a fully chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Over the past couple of years, Izzy has developed her expertise and been involved in various projects, ranging from town regeneration to smaller scale change of use applications. Outside of work Izzy enjoys various hobbies, including running and hockey. She ran the Cambridge half marathon the past two years and looks forward to the next race, where she is aiming for a PB!

Laura has worked as a planning consultant in Essex since 2014. She is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), and became a chartered town planner in 2017. Her experience is wide-ranging having worked for a variety of clients including landowners, developers, promoters and local authorities. She has particular expertise in development management projects.

Laura has a proven ability to manage projects through the planning process to achieve consents. She enjoys working closely with project teams to navigate challenges in the interests of a successful outcome for clients. The types of projects she has worked on include Green Belt development, brownfield redevelopment, rural diversification, Local Plan promotion, the delivery of large housing allocations, householder applications and planning appeals.

Away from work, Laura enjoys nothing more than getting outside with her husband, young son and lively spaniel, visiting friends and family across the country, and exploring (and sampling the culinary delights of) the UK and Europe when life allows!

Olivia obtained a Natural Sciences degree from Durham University before gaining her wealth of experience in marketing and PR, across sectors including property, agriculture, FMCG and retail. She has worked for big brands like Ocado, professional family businesses like City & Country, new consultancies like Ceres Rural and Ceres Property, and farm businesses like Foxes Farm Produce.

Olivia works tirelessly to drive organisations forward in changing and challenging landscapes. She ensures marketing opportunities are maximised and risk is minimised – continuously striving to deliver growth, whilst remaining true to a brand's identity and core values.

Olivia has a passion for data analysis and the power it arms us with; facilitating objective decision making and delivering the best commercial outcomes. She enjoys balancing this numeric side with creativity – seeing the two different elements come together to inform and produce impactful and measurable campaigns.

Outside of work, Olivia is kept busy and entertained by her two young children who love being outside on the farm. When they’re asleep, her Instagram feed of interior design inspo for an upcoming project is a go to, and let’s not forget her background noise requirement in the form of Test Match Special.

Boris specialises in identifying and advising on development and planning opportunities throughout Essex and the southeast. With expertise spanning the entire development process, he provides guidance on a wide range of scenarios to unlock both strategic and short-term prospects for landowners. His experience includes projects ranging from modest farmyards to extensive greenfield urban extensions, encompassing both residential and commercial developments.

Born and bred in rural Essex, Boris graduated from Reading University in 2013 with a degree in Real Estate and became a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 2016.

In his free time, Boris enjoys country pursuits, snowsports, and has a keen interest (or growing obsession) in World War II history.

Matt is an Associate Partner in the Development team, bringing experience in brokering immediate and strategic land deals across the Eastern Region, as well as offering development consultancy advice. He also has a background working for a national housebuilder, where he gained experience in immediate land acquisition, development management and larger strategic projects.

Matt studied Real Estate at the University of Reading, began his career in 2017, and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2019. He took a year off to travel in Central and South America before joining Ceres in 2024.

Outside of work, Matt is an avid sportsman, enjoying football, golf, and racket sports.

Peter specialises in farms and estates brokerage, helping clients predominantly in the eastern region, but working across the UK. Peter joined Ceres Property having been a Director of a large farm business in West Norfolk.

Peter completed a degree in Agricultural Business Management at the University of Reading in 2014, and gained an MSc in Rural Estate Management in 2017. Peter then started his surveying career in Chelmsford, Essex.

Following completing his MRICS and CAAV qualifications in 2019, Peter undertook the Worshipful Company of Farmers “Challenge for Rural Leadership” course in 2022. He is also a member of the Institute of Agricultural Business Management and sits on the Norfolk GWCT Committee.

Peter lives on his family farm in Norfolk. He is a keen sportsman, playing lots of tennis, squash and football – albeit his proudest sporting moments were winning the plate at the Surveyors Rugby Sevens tournament and winning an “Ultra White Collar” Boxing Match.

David is a Partner in the planning team. He has over 18 years' experience working as a town planner in East Anglia. For the majority of David's career, he has provided expert consultancy to the private sector.

David has a diverse workstream, covering major residential, educational and transport schemes, as well as minerals and waste projects. His varied client base includes housebuilders, landowners, contractors, local authorities, promoters and care operators.

David has successfully helped clients secure consent on a range of complicated planning applications. He has led promotion of strategic land as part of various local plans, and acted as an expert witness at planning appeals.

Prior to joining Ceres Property David headed the Eastern Region for a national consultancy. He is a chartered town planner and a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Outside of work David enjoys spending time with his family and playing tennis.

Oliver is a chartered rural surveyor who has been operating from Essex since 2021. He specialises in compulsory purchase and compensation work, having acted for farmers and property owners on a wide range of national infrastructure schemes across the Country, including The Lower Thames Crossing, A12 Widening and HS2. He is also a specialist in renewable energy development, having acted for both landowners and developers across England and Wales. He provides estate management services for clients, managing their estates/property and providing advice on all matters that arise. Outside of work, Oliver helps out on the home farm and enjoys the occasional Ski trip.

Katie is the first point of contact for our clients and is enjoying the challenge of organising the Chelmsford office.

Katie loves spending time with her family and two young boys, who keep her busy most of the time.

She has a keen interest in classic car shows, skiing, paddle boarding.

Kelly has spent the last 7 years working for a Pharmaceutical company as PA/Office Manager and administrative support.

In her spare time Kelly loves spending time with her family (including two teenagers, two dogs and one husband!)

Much of her time is taken up with her sons’ football, rugby and cricket sporting fixtures and providing an on-call taxi service.

Adam is an Associate Partner in the planning team with over 25 years planning experience in both the public and private sector. He joined Ceres Property in September 2023 having spent the previous eight years based in Cambridge, providing professional consultancy advice to a range of landowners, developers, promoters, estates, trusts and public sector clients.

Having originally worked in local government, Adam has a comprehensive understanding of planning law and process, and a strong appreciation of the political aspects of the planning system, which allows him to work effectively with planning officers and statutory consultees to deliver the best outcomes for his clients.

He has a track record of working on an extensive range and scale of projects, from the promotion of a new garden village, down to single dwellings. His recent experience includes working on major residential developments, rural diversification projects, commercial schemes, school developments, renewable projects, as well as heritage schemes.

His spare time is mainly spent relaxing with his family and two dogs. He enjoys gardening and likes to swim to keep fit.

Michael has over 40 years' experience specialising in the purchase, sale and valuation of farms, estates and rural property, as well as providing strategic advice to rural clients. His work takes him all over the UK. His career started in London before moving to live in East Anglia some 25 years ago. His clients include Private Individuals, Trusts, Charities and Companies.

He is a Trustee of the Royal Agricultural Society of England and The Childwick Trust, as well as a number of family trusts.

Michael lives in Suffolk and his spare time is spent playing golf, tennis and sailing on the River Stour as well as trying to keep up with his 5 children and 3 grandchildren.

Anna is an Associate Partner within the Development team. She has experience in the brokerage of immediate and strategic development land across the Eastern Region, ranging from 4 to 1000 units, as well as providing development consultancy advice.

Anna studied Geography at the University of Hull, before completing a Masters degree in International Real Estate and Planning at University College London. She qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2021 and joined Ceres Property in 2023, having worked in a development consultancy team in a national property firm for four years.

Away from work, Anna loves to get outdoors as much as possible. In particular, she enjoys hiking, and she is currently trying to improve her golf handicap. Travel plans are never far from her thoughts, with the next trip always on the horizon!

Susan has spent the bulk of her career in Land Management looking after the teams and clients, before she worked as a secretary in the banking sector.

Susan loves spending time with family and friends and taking plenty of walkies with her furry friend. She enjoys having friends round and cooking a meal or just watching a movie. She enjoys going to the theatre. She is a bit of a homebody and enjoys her home and garden.

Michael has been a chartered rural surveyor for over 15 years, cutting his teeth in Scotland and honing his commercial approach to land agency in Essex since 2009.

He specialises in providing minerals and waste advice to landowners and operators through all stages of the quarrying life cycle – from concept and options, through to restoration and aftercare. As a qualified land agent, Michael understands the wider impact of quarrying and waste opportunities for landowners’ properties and can provide tailored advice to their wider rural business strategies.

He currently manages and provides advise on over 35 million tonnes of existing and potential mineral reserve in East Anglia, and provides expert witness opinion on mineral values for court proceedings. Michael is also exploring the concept of energy from quarrying during and post works, as well as looking at diversified restored uses to add further value to a quarry operation.

Michael's home time is spent trying to keep up with his busy family life and all the football, rugby, dancing and music commitments that comes with four high school aged children!

Lucy joined Ceres Property as a graduate surveyor, having graduated from the University of Reading with a degree in Real Estate in 2023. She is working towards her RICS and CAAV qualifications and looks to apply her knowledge and gain experience in a variety of areas to find her specialism.

Outside of the office Lucy is a keen sportswomen, playing both golf and hockey. She also enjoys helping out on her family farm on the Cambridge/Hertfordshire boarder as well as spending time with her friends and family on the weekends.

Sam has spent her entire career working for property consultancies, looking after both the teams and clients. She is incredibly personable and always happy to help.

She has extensive experience managing teams and coordinating day-to-day office management. Sam specialises in providing support within development and planning services.

When not at work, Sam can be found spending time with her family and husband, as well her two, completely adored French Bulldogs!

Joe has built up a strong reputation within the development land markets, across the eastern region, having orchestrated the sale of a number of high profile residential and mixed use schemes. He acts as a trusted advisor for a range of clients, including private landowners, house builders, housing associations, local authorities and institutions.

Whilst Joe primarily focuses on brokerage activities, he has extensive experience with strategic land, advising private landowners and institutions on how best to bring land forward in the short, medium or long term, with or without a development partner.

Aside from brokerage and strategic land, Joe offers a range of consultancy services to assist clients with every step of the process, from inception through to sale. He is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Outside work, Joe is a keen sportsman, either competing in golf tournaments, playing 5aside football, at the local tennis club or running.

James is a Partner of Ceres Property, leading Planning work and supporting clients on a varied range of planning and development projects. He has extensive experience in planning consultancy, having worked in the field since 2013 advising a range of clients. He has been Head of Planning at two national planning consultancies in Essex previously, as well as having roles at local authorities, covering development management and planning policy.

James manages residential, commercial and mixed-use developments on a range of sites, including regeneration, brownfield sites and greenfield urban extensions. The sectors of his work have included: residential and affordable housing, commercial (offices, retail, industrial, logistics), public sector, student housing, hotels, retirement, educations, infrastructure, minerals, and farm diversification and tourism.

James specialises in developing planning strategy with clients and working to achieve planning permission on challenging sites.

James is a chartered town planner and member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Outside of work James spends time with his wife and two children, with interests including motorsports and cycling.

Rory is an Associate Partner within the planning team. Rory has considerable experience advising public and private sector clients in London and across East Anglia. Rory has led multi-disciplinary teams, securing strategic allocation through Local Plan promotion, as well securing consents for residential, commercial, and mixed-use schemes of varying scales and complexities.

Rory advises on a range of projects on behalf of landowners, developers and house builders, helping clients to navigate the complex planning system in an expert manner, with a strong skillset in project management and negotiation.

Rory is a chartered town planner and member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Outside of work, Rory enjoys cooking in the kitchen, or a good BBQ with friends and family. He has a keen interest in tennis and dance music.

Iain advises clients on the identification and the options for taking forward development opportunities, from the very early stages of project inception and planning strategy through to exit options when planning has been secured.

He has experience acting for a range of private, corporate and institutional landowners providing development consultancy and brokerage advice and now acts as a trusted advisor providing high level strategic advice for private landowners and corporate clients.

His workload deals with an increasingly complex and changing planning and development process, requiring the ability to think proactively and manage a series of different stakeholders, with problem solving and brokering solutions often the key to unlocking the development potential of land.

Iain’s spare time is spent with his family, on DIY projects and increasingly as an on-call taxi service for his two sons.

Paul has 40 years of experience as a Land Agent specialising as a Development Surveyor for the past 25 years. His key focus is on strategic land, particularly working with owners of greenfields in interesting locations. He helps bring forward residential and commercial development schemes through options and promotion agreements and works directly with planning consultants.

He is an experienced end of option valuer and broker of development land, principally operating in the eastern region.

Paul is a Chartered Surveyor and Fellow of the Association of Agricultural Valuers.

His spare time is spent with his wife, playing cricket, hiking, shooting, skiing and generally not sitting still.

John has over 23 years of experience providing planning consultancy advice to a range of landowners and the wider development sector. He specialises in strategic consultancy to individual landowners and developers who need upfront professional planning advice.

John is a qualified Town Planner and Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). John acts for a wide variety of clients including landowners, estates, trusts, charities, corporate bodies, investors, land promoters, developers and house builders.

He has worked on a series of garden village schemes, significant urban extensions, commercial business parks, as well as a range of rural diversification proposals for traditional landowners.

Spare time is family orientated with his wife and daughter. Most of the early morning swims are dedicated to his daughter's ambitions of making the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Kathryn specialises in estate management and professional consultancy from landlord and tenant matters to valuation advice. Kathryn provides advice to clients with a range of rural assets, from bare land to commercial units and large mixed portfolios. As well as day-to-day estate management, Kathryn provides technical advice and strategic insight to clients in order to add value, improve the environment, or future proof their property.

From a farming background in Essex, Kathryn obtained her degree in Rural Land Management at the Royal Agricultural University. Following her degree, she passed the APC in 2018 and became a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers in 2019. Outside of work, Kathryn helps with the running of the family farm and often spends weekends tackling DIY jobs that should probably be left to a professional.

Christopher is an agricultural consultant providing discrete, independent business and strategic advice to farmers and landowners.

He has 40 years of experience with Strutt & Parker in eastern England. Initially managing farms in hand, then setting up Contract Farming arrangements and joint ventures. Recently he has been advising farmers and landowners on matters of compensation due from A14 and A428 infrastructure projects.

He is a qualified chartered surveyor, registered agricultural valuer, and has a degree in Agricultural Economics and a diploma in farm management from Seale Hayne college.

Christopher retains an interest in Devon with his smallholding in Dartmoor National Park and enjoys swimming and sailing in Cornwall.

Peter is a qualified Chartered Surveyor, RICS Registered Valuer and RICS Registered Expert Witness. He is a specialist in energy development since 2015 having acted for landowners with over 1GW of schemes over England and has over 3GW of schemes in the pipeline. A number of these schemes are national infrastructure schemes requiring compulsory purchase powers. He has been involved in a number of different types of developments including solar, battery, gas and EV charging.

Peter also specialises in compulsory purchase and compensation having acted for businesses, farmers and property owners on a wide range of national infrastructure schemes including recently The Lower Thames Crossing, A12 Widening and South Lincs Reservoir.

Peter is a keen hockey player although he is currently out of action due to injury. These days the most exercise he gets is walking his wire haired dachshund puppy.

Shaun specialises in financial management, operational systems and their
digital transformation. He has held a variety of senior posts across finance, IT, project management, and in accountancy practices. His projects include the complete re-engineering of a client accounting department, and moving a business entirely to the cloud.

Shaun is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA from Cranfield University School of Management. He was a previous Chair of the Property IT Directors’ Forum.

He enjoys history, politics and economics.

Jason specialises in the management of farms, the formation of contract farming and joint venture agreements. He further advises on compulsory purchase schemes and landlord and tenant matters.

Jason is a qualified Chartered Surveyor, RICS Registered Valuer and agricultural valuer. He graduated from Harper Adams with a degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management.

Jason is a Parish Councillor, Trustee and sits on the steering committee of the Norfolk Young Farmers association.

Jason is a keen follower of national hunt racing and enjoys spending time driving his Ford 7810 tractor particularly during harvest helping friends.

Due to continued growth, Ceres Rural is seeking a motivated and capable Rural Surveyor to join our Newbury office at Surveyor level.

Ideally, you will be a full member of RICS and/or CAAV, with the ability to deliver clear, practical and commercially focused advice to landowners and farmers across the southern region. You will be joining a highly regarded partnership that actively invests in its people, offering the opportunity to quickly become a valued member of a dynamic, enthusiastic and forward-thinking business.

We are looking for ambitious individuals who strive to provide an exceptional level of service to clients. Our objective is to deliver truly independent, highly valued and entrepreneurial advice to a diverse portfolio of farming and land-owning clients.

The role will involve supporting the wider team in delivering high-quality advice to both existing and new clients, while progressively developing and managing your own client relationships as your career develops. Based in our Newbury office, you will have the opportunity to work across a broad range of disciplines aligned to your interests and strengths, including:

Advising on a wide range of estate enterprises including diversification projects.
Residential, agricultural and commercial property management and consultancy advice.
General estate management.
Professional work including valuations, planning advice, sales & lettings, compensation claims.
Environmental schemes – both Defra funded and private sector funded.

You will be encouraged to engage in networking and business development opportunities, supporting both personal progression and the continued growth of the firm.

From our Newbury office, we undertake work across much of the South, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

Applications, including a CV and covering letter, should be submitted to Andrew Atkinson, Partner, at andrew.atkinson@ceresrural.co.uk. For further information or an informal discussion, please call 07511 070654.

IHT: Potential Reforms and the Need for Strategic Planning for Farms and Estates