CLA Cumbria Annual General Meeting - Country Land & Business ...

Lowther Castle – back from the brink
Lowther Castle stands on a site occupied by the Lowther family for over
800 years. It was completed in 1806 and a beautiful sculpture gallery with
decorative plaster ceiling was added in 1814. The last resident was the
Yellow Earl, who finally left the castle on New Year’s Day 1936. The castle
was requisitioned by the army during the second world war and returned
to the Lowther family in a poor condition. Many large country houses
were demolished during this period but the seventh Earl decided to leave
the castle façade as a monument in the landscape having removed the
roof in 1957, and the grounds were used for a large chicken farm and
commercial forestry business.
In 2010 the castle and gardens were leased to the new independent
charity, the Lowther Castle & Gardens Trust, which secured £8.9m of
funds to develop the castle and gardens into a major visitor attraction.
Work to reverse 70 years of deterioration of the castle, gardens and stable
courtyard started in April 2011, and a veritable army of craftsmen have
been busy replacing slate roofs, rebuilding collapsed turrets, repairing
lime plaster ceilings, refurbishing hundreds of windows and doors,
removing hundreds of tonnes of army concrete, and sympathetically
installing modern services.
Based on the 17th century layout, the 130 acres of once lovely gardens
are gradually recovering from neglect. There are mossy woods, secret
summerhouses, stone seats, hidden ponds and terrific views over
Lakeland.
A new museum and gallery, gathering together some of the Lowther’s
collections and fine arts that were auctioned in the 1940s, has also
recently opened and follows the lives of the Lowther family’s key characters.
Booking form and ticket application
Please complete the form on the reverse, detach and send promptly to the regional office
address – not forgetting to enclose your cheque. Space is limited, so to avoid disappointment please
act quickly.
COUNTRY LAND & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Cumbria Branch Committee 2011-2012
Vice Chairman: R C Addison Esq Greystone House, Kings Meaburn, Penrith,
Cumbria, CA10 3BU
C H Bagot Esq FRICS JP DL Estate Office, Levens Hall, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 0PD
C Baker Esq
Smiths Gore, 64 Warwick Road, Carlisle,
Cumbria, CA1 1DR
Mrs P Blair
Stubbs Ghyll, Mockerkin, Cockermouth,
Cumbria, CA13 0ST
C Brough Esq
Buckabank Farm, Buckabank, Dalston, Carlisle, CA5 7AB
E H Buckley Esq
Hill Farm, Ings, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9QQ
Mrs O Clarke OBE DL Kaker Mill Farm, Preston Patrick, Milnthorpe,
Cumbria, LA7 7NZ
S Cockroft Esq MRICS FAAV Davis & Bowring, 6-8 Main Street,
Kirkby Lonsdale, LS6 2AE
President: E C Ecroyd Esq Low House, Armathwaite, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA4 9ST
Chairman: Mrs I Frost-Pennington The Estate Office, Muncaster, Ravenglass,
Cumbria, CA18 1RQ
Mrs A Hayton
Brook Farm, Thackthwaite, Loweswater,
Cockermouth, CA13 0RP
Mrs A Jones
Planning Branch, Cumbria House, Gilwilly Road,
Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 9FF
J Lambton Esq FRICS Carter Jonas, 52 Kirkland, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 5AP
Mrs D Matthews
Rayrigg Estates Ltd, Rayrigg Road, Windermere,
Cumbria, LA23 1BW
G H Mounsey-Heysham Esq FRICS Castletown Estate Office, Rockcliffe, Carlisle,
Cumbria, CA6 4BN
M G Southern Esq
Pennybridge Hall, Pennybridge, Ulverston,
Cumbria, LA12 7RW
Mrs R Tuer
Crake Trees Manor, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith,
Cumbria, CA10 3JG
Mrs S Villiers-Smith
The Estate Office, Dallam Tower, Milnthorpe,
Cumbria, LA7 7AG
J P Webster Esq
Page Bank Farm, Rampside, Barrow In Furness,
Cumbria, LA13 0QR
T Wells Esq
Edenholme, Great Musgrave, Kirkby Stephen,
Cumbria, CA17 4DP
Minutes of last AGM
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held at Wray
Castle Ambleside on Monday 24 September, 2012.
There were 35 apologies for absence.
1. The Minutes of the 2011 Annual General
Meeting held on Thursday 29 September at
Underley Grange, Casterton, near Kirkby
Lonsdale, which had been previously circulated
were approved and signed.
2. The Chairman’s annual report had been
circulated and was received by the meeting.
3. Election of Officers and Committee:
The following were duly elected:
a. President: Mr E C Ecroyd
b. Branch Committee:
i. Retirements: The following resigned:
Mr A Morton, Mr M MacInnes and
Mr S Proctor. Mr T Wells retired having
served for three years and was re-elected.
ii. New members: Mrs S Villiers-Smith,
Mrs Jones and Mr S Cockroft.
4. Branch Representatives to Council:
The following were duly elected as Branch
Representatives to Council: Mrs I Frost
Pennington and Mr C Addison.
5. Any Other Business: None.
INVITATION TO THE
CLA Cumbria
Annual General Meeting
Monday 16 September 2013
Lowther Castle
Unfortunately we are unable to make a refund if you have to cancel for any reason.
The Cumbria branch of the CLA would like to thank Wrigleys Solicitors for their valued support.
.org.uk
REGIONAL TEAM
Regional Director:
Policy & Public Affairs Director:
PR & Comms Manager:
Regional Adviser:
Regional Surveyor:
Regional Administrator:
Regional Administrator:
Dorothy Fairburn
Douglas Chalmers
Daniel Curtois
Jane Harrison
Jacqui Stoddart
Nikki Brown
Sarah Lister
Aske Stables, Aske,
Richmond, DL10 5HG
Tel: 01748 907070
Fax: 01748 907075
Email: north@cla.org.uk
cla.org.uk

This year’s Annual General Meeting, kindly
sponsored by Wrigleys Solicitors, is to be held
on Monday 16 September at Lowther Castle,
Penrith, CA10 2HH.
Dating back to the early 19th century, Lowther Castle
and its gardens were left to deteriorate for 70 years
before a major £8.9million restoration project got
underway in 2011. Since then, an army of craftsmen
have been busy replacing roofs, rebuilding turrets,
repairing ceilings, refurbishing hundreds of windows and
doors, sympathetically restoring the building to its former
glory.
Programme for the day
10.30am
11am
1pm
2.15pm
4pm
Registration and coffee on arrival
AGM and presentations
CLA Vice-President, Ross Murray
Wrigleys Solicitors
Introduction and welcome to Lowther
Castle – Bryan Gray (Chairman of
Trustees)
Pre-lunch drinks
Lunch
Tours of the castle and gardens
Depart
Notice of the 2013 Annual General Meeting of the
Cumbria Branch of the Country Land and Business
Association to be held at Lowther Castle at 11am on
Monday 16 September.
Agenda
Apologies for absence.
1. Minutes of the 2012 Annual General
Meeting held at Wray Castle, Ambleside
2. Report of the branch Chairman,
Mrs I Frost-Pennington
3. Election of officers and committee
members
4. Election of branch representatives
to Council
5. Any other business of which due notice
shall have been given
D U Fairburn
Regional Director
CHAIRMAN’S
REPORT
I am delighted to be reporting
to you again twelve months on
from our last AGM at Wray Castle.
2012 will probably be most remembered for the appalling weather
conditions that farmers had to endure - from facing drought 12 months ago
to ending the year as the second wettest on record. Then in March this year
record amounts of snow!
The rural economy was hardest hit by the poor weather with a financial
black hole on Britain’s farms amounting to more than £1 billion. Farmers
and land managers have lost valuable crops and are also facing huge feed
bills for their livestock. Many fear the effects will have carried over into
2013’s production.
This vulnerability in our food production is another reminder of why the
CLA’s role in the current CAP negotiations is so vitally important for
securing the future of farming in Cumbria and beyond.
National lobbying
The CLA has excellent access to ministers in the Coalition Government
and its pro-growth agenda. Our influence was clearly illustrated earlier this
year when the Government agreed to relax planning restrictions around
old agricultural building allowing them to be converted without having to go
through the difficult and costly full planning application process.
The CLA has to be strong to compete for the Government’s ear against the
efforts of other campaigning groups, often single interest and well funded,
and directly opposing policies that favour our members’ business interests.
We can see political developments in Scotland that would further threaten
the interests of the owners of rural land and property, including moves
to support vicarious liability (where landowners are prosecuted for the
wrongdoings of their employees) the absolute right to buy for farm tenants
and moves to de-value land.
Your CLA membership has never been so important. I thank you for your
support and ask you to continue helping in the fight to protect landowners’
rights.
CAP reform
The CLA now has more resource than ever before focussed on lobbying
at a European level to ensure a fair deal for our farmers in the current round
of CAP negotiations. We are robustly defending our stance on capping,
greening and the definition of “active farmer.”
Tax
There have been a number of well reported taxation threats to landowners
including possible changes to Agricultural Property Relief, a Mansion Tax
and Land Reform. The CLA is the only organisation with a solid track record
in fighting such threats.
Horsemeat/food labelling
Food labelling came under the spotlight again recently as a result of the
horsemeat scandal. The CLA has been active in the area of food labelling
for a number of years. In 2006, we launched the Just Ask campaign to push
for those in the food service sector to recognise the importance of labelling
on the products served to the consumer.
Effective labelling of food products is crucial. But also is the actual
provenance of the food on offer. If, as a result of the horsemeat scandal, the
consumer is to become more reliant on local sourcing, then this will be an
indirect benefit.
However this will only be short term and the British shopper will inevitably
go back to the supermarket which is why we will continue to send a clear
message to the consumer that buying locally always guarantees a form of
security that clearly has not been the case in the retail chain.
Forestry
Our forests are under attack from diseases such as Chalara fraxinea (ash
dieback) and Phytophthora ramorum in larch. New Phytophthora outbreaks
have been confirmed in Cumbria. We are calling for a culture change within
Defra and the Forestry Commission so foresters are recognised as the best
early detectors of tree pests and diseases.
Badger cull
The CLA is fully supportive of the cull to help combat the unacceptably high
toll on cattle and farmers’ livelihoods caused by bovine TB. Harry Cotterell,
our national President, has been working hard behind the scenes to steer
this important exercise in the right direction
Drainage
The CLA is part of an advisory group that has been established to work
through the options for land drainage in the North West and to raise
awareness of the implications in the region following withdrawal of
Environmental Agency funding at the Waver & Wampool pumping station.
A 12 month trial period has been proposed in which two of the pumps at
Lyth Valley will be switched off and the affects monitored. This will gauge
what needs to be put in place to take up the shortfall in Enviromental
Agency funding.
North West Coastal Connections – National Grid
The National Grid will go out to stage two public consultation in early
autumn on two proposed routes. The CLA will ensure the consultation
Bad weather has dominated the agenda over the last year
process covers the more rural aspects of the route and does not solely
focus on the urban areas and their respective communities.
Once the route is agreed the details will be added and we can comment
more specifically on property rights and the necessary agreements
and compensation required as per the recently launched CLA paper on
compulsory purchase.
Crime
Cumbria now has its own Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Richard
Rhodes, to ensure local policing meets the needs of local communities. If
you haven’t already made contact with him, I would urge you to do so to
ensure rural crime is on the agenda.
Campaigning
Last year the CLA campaigned on a range of rural issues including a
reduction in red tape for the equine industry, VAT relief on static caravans,
a halt to empty property taxes, improved broadband delivery and rights for
landowners in the iniquitous compulsory purchase system to name but a few.
Earlier this year we launched a tourism paper calling on the Government
to cut VAT on the supply of rural tourism services from 20 percent to seven
percent in a bid to support the industry. We have also just launched a paper
on residential letting, calling for an end to the ever-growing amount of red
tape that is making it increasingly difficult for landlords of older buildings to
let properties.
Events
We have had some great events in Cumbria including visits to Iggesund
Paperboard and RAF Spadeadam and a social media for beginners course
at Rheged. There was also a good visit to Dewlay Cheese at Garstang.
Last year’s AGM at Wray Castle was a great evening out. I am sure
everyone is looking forward to seeing the developments at Lowther Castle.
Regional team
The team, under regional director Dorothy Fairburn, has settled in well at
the new Aske office, where advisers have handled hundreds of enquiries
on a range of rural and landowning issues over the last year. Our policy &
public affairs director Douglas Chalmers has met with dozens of MPs and
Booking form for Cumbria AGM and estate tour
Member’s Name:
Guest’s Name:
Address:
ministers including Owen Paterson, David Heath and Nick Boles to argue
the case for the rural economy.
In June, Adam Day of Greystoke, near Penrith, who many of you will
already know, joined the team as territory manager and is responsible
for recruiting new members to the Association throughout Cumbria,
Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
Adam has more than 25 years’ experience in the agricultural industry. He
is well known in the area from his previous role as managing director of
Milnthorpe-based North West Auctions Ltd, where he was responsible for
the management of two livestock markets at Kendal and Lancaster.
AGM
This year the AGM will be at Lowther, I am very much looking forward to
looking at all the exciting developments that are taking place and we should
have a fascinating visit.
The CLA vice-president Ross Murray will be attending and will be able to
give us an update on the areas where CLA is lobbying and what progress
is being made as well as answer any questions you may have.
Thank you for your support - your CLA membership has never been so
important, so please continue helping us to try and protect landowners’
rights.
Iona Frost-Pennington
Douglas Chalmers meets Defra Secretary of State
Owen Paterson
Email:
Price
AGM
Free
AGM, lunch and tour. Please advise of any special dietary requirements £28.50
Membership No:
Tel:
Just Ask – food provenance has a higher
profile after the horsemeat scandal
Number
Enclosed cheque for £
Payable to the CLA
Please return as soon as possible to reach us no later than Monday 2 September and send with cheque to: CLA North, Aske Stables, Aske, Richmond,
North Yorkshire, DL10 5HG.