Friday, June 13, 2025

Council throws its weight behind farmers’ objections to inheritance tax

West Lindsey District has thrown its weight behind opposition to the Government’s changes to inheritance tax, which it says will have devastating impacts on rural communities, food security, and environmental conservation.

The council is to write to Chancellor Rachel Reeves deploring the decision to scrap Agricultural Property Relief, which has been instrumental in allowing British family farms to remain intact across generations, supporting food security, sustaining rural communities, and aiding environmental stewardship.

It is estimated to impact over 70,000 family farms, leaving the average farming family with a tax bill of at least £240,000. It forces many to sell portions of their land or close entirely, paving the way for corporate ownership and lifestyle buyers over family ownership.

Cllr John Barrett put forward a motion to full council in which he said: “This Council believes this inheritance tax will have severe impacts on food security. Selling off land or closing farms will risk our national food independence when global stability is already fragile. British family farms are critical to ensuring a steady supply of homegrown food.”

He added: “This is something that is close to my heart. About 60 years ago I had a number of relatives who had small farms up in West Yorkshire. A similar thing happened and they now have no farms and they had to sell up to developers.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our news site - please take a moment to read this important message:

As you know, our aim is to bring you, the reader, an editorially led news site and magazine but journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them.

With the Covid-19 pandemic having a major impact on our industry as a whole, the advertising revenues we normally receive, which helps us cover the cost of our journalists and this website, have been drastically affected.

As such we need your help. If you can support our news sites/magazines with either a small donation of even £1, or a subscription to our magazine, which costs just £27.55 per year, (inc p&P and mailed direct to your door) your generosity will help us weather the storm and continue in our quest to deliver quality journalism.

As a subscriber, you will have unlimited access to our web site and magazine. You'll also be offered VIP invitations to our events, preferential rates to all our awards and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Just click here to subscribe and in the meantime may I wish you the very best.

Advertisment












Latest posts

Steam and country charm return to Belvoir Castle this August

Belvoir Castle will once again host a classic countryside celebration as the Steam and Country Show returns from 23 to 25 August, marking its...

Lincoln bus station gets a cleaner, bird-free upgrade

Lincoln Central bus station has recently undergone a low-key but meaningful upgrade to improve the everyday experience for commuters. The City of Lincoln Council...

Time capsule buried at new cinema site

A time capsule has been buried at the site of the new Savoy Cinema in Gainsborough. This event marks a significant milestone in the ongoing...

The Baston Car & Bike Show returns

The Baston Car & Bike Show returns on Sunday 29th June and will feature a whole host of special vehicles – vintage, classics, road,...

Ministry of Sound brings balearic beats to Lincoln Castle

Ministry of Sound Ibiza Anthems with Ellie Sax & Friends is the brand-new live show, from the world’s biggest dance music brand. Coming to Lincoln...

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close