First public event to be held at Space Park Leicester

Space Park Leicester is set to host the first in a series of public events highlighting Leicester’s role ahead of the UN’s Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. The University of Leicester’s new and innovative research, enterprise and education cluster will bring together a range of experts to showcase the impact of existing work to combat climate change and improve air quality – and highlight what more can be done. Taking place on Tuesday 2 November (5.30pm to 7.45pm), this is the first in a series of events under the title Space Park Conversations, aimed at sharing the research and expertise of the entire Space Park Leicester community. Guests will have the opportunity to hear three short talks from Leicester experts on the variety of climate research taking place at the University – from ‘low carbon lettuce’ to detecting methane leaks from space – alongside a video update from the COP26 conference centre courtesy of Professor John Remedios, Director of the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) hosted at Space Park Leicester. Professor Sarah Davies, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Science and Engineering, will chair a panel discussion on the impact of COP26 closer to home, to include:  
  • Adam Clarke, Deputy City Mayor – Environment and Transportation, Leicester City Council
  • Anna Haskell, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology and Director of the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability, University of Leicester
  • Josh Vande Hey, Lecturer in Environment & Health, University of Leicester
  • William Wells, Non-Executive Director, EarthSense
  Leicester has a long history of world-leading research, innovation and action in tackling environmental problems. The University of Leicester and NCEO use data from sophisticated instruments in space to tackle today’s greatest challenges, such as climate change and air pollution. Research is underpinned by state-of-the-art models, ground and aircraft observations and lab experiments. Earlier this year, the University formally launched its Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability, which studies the impact of environmental exposures on human health. Leicester-based experts will be active scientifically at COP26, which aims to bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Their inputs are aimed at showcasing the measurement of greenhouse gas concentrations accurately from space, illustrating differences between the world today and the climate plus 2oC. This research will provide information on changes in the carbon store of the world’s forests and illuminating the use of satellite information for climate change mitigation.

Local Independent Audiologists Hear4U Switch to Revolutionary New Patient-Focused System

 Hear4U – based in Leicester, Hinckley and Rothwell – are revolutionizing the way they do business. In the world of finance, long gone are the days when everything was written on sheets of paper, so why should the world of medicine be any different? For hundreds of audiologists up and down the country, the technology may have changed but the way they do business has remained the same for many years. In the pursuit of stability and reliability, audiology has tended to lag behind when it comes to the way they operate, relying on paper notes and outdated systems. A Paperless Future For Hear4U, that is all about to change with the addition of Blueprint Solutions’ celebrated, cutting-edge system. Boasting an entirely paperless format, this pure-digital method features a far more detailed interface which can track entire patient histories as well as their choice of medical solutions across time. Put simply, this means a far more patient-focused approach that perfectly reflects Hear4U’s own ethos. If patients want to receive a new pair of those same hearing aids they had a few years ago; if they need to access medical history for a home visit at the touch of a button and if they want a secure system with an intuitive client interface, this innovative new system has them covered. Indeed, Blueprint Solutions’ remarkable method is truly the next generation of patient/clinic interface. Not only is its extensive database available anywhere, but Hear4U will be implementing an online booking form, an automatic appointment reminder system and full cashless credit card processing so that you need never miss your timeslot again. Patient-Focused Approach In keeping up with Hear4U’s commitment to the very best in aftercare, they have opted to include three additional procedures in making sure that patients always feel that they have the support they need: Automatic reminders for arranged follow-up meetings, a full timeline for your hearing aids so that you know exactly how old they are and even a warrantee reminder for when your coverage is about to expire. On top of all this fantastic functionality, patients can look forward to a fully integrated experience with Noah software, the gold standard for audiometry. This means that you can have a full printout of your latest audiogram whenever you like for maximum peace of mind. Director Tyler Bennett had this to say: “I’m absolutely thrilled about the new system – it’s set to be a real boon, not only for our staff (but) our patients and clients as well. With this addition, we can solidify our position as one of the leading audiologists in Leicestershire”.

Space Park Leicester event to help businesses utilise digital marketing

Anicca Digital is helping businesses raise Leicester’s profile as an engineering and STEM hotspot with a free event at Space Park Leicester on Tuesday 2nd November. New Frontiers in Digital Transformation & Marketing will provide the city’s B2B and STEM companies with the fuel they need for growth in the digital landscape. The event will feature guest speakers William Wells, Commercial Director of Space Park Leicester, on Leicester’s new community of world-leading research, innovation and Pim van Baarsen, CEO of Silverstone Technology Cluster, which supports advanced engineering and other STEM businesses. There will also be talks from Anicca Digital’s own specialists, enabling attendees to benefit from the latest digital marketing insights across paid media, social media, search engine optimisation and content marketing. Talks are designed to help firms overcome the digital skills gap, providing practical advice they can utilise to improve their own online presence and audience targeting, to help increase leads and opportunities for growth. New Frontiers in Digital Transformation & Marketing will run as a hybrid event, with delegates able to attend in person or join via a live steam, with in-person attendance limited to just 50. The free event will also support Leicestershire charity Toys on the Table, with guests asked to donate a Christmas gift for children who might not otherwise receive anything. The full event line-up comprises:
  • Welcome address from the Space Park Leicester – William Wells, Commercial Director of Space Park
  • How the Silverstone Technology Cluster can help advanced engineering and other STEM businesses – Pim van Baarsen
  • Introduction to digital marketing channels and useful stats and trends 2021 – Ann Stanley
  • SEO and integrated content marketing strategies – Sukhjinder Singh & Amy Hayward-Paine
  • Ecommerce strategies for B2B businesses using paid search and paid social advertising – Holly Kelly
  • Panel Q & A – hosted by Thom Shardlow
Ann Stanley, Founder and Managing Director at Anicca Digital, comments: “We are excited to be working with Space Park Leicester to deliver this special event, which aims to support businesses in tech and engineering with fully utilising digital platforms. “The pandemic has underlined the importance of digital marketing, with businesses of every size across all sectors having to adapt their online presence in order to survive. “Regardless of industry, every business owner needs to be up to speed on the digital landscape and learn techniques to help grow their business.” Anicca offers free weekly webinars on a range of subjects, including PPC, SEO, Social Media and Analytics. Register to attend or watch the recordings.

Lincoln selected to showcase net zero robotic farming at COP26

With an estimated 37% of the world’s greenhouse gasses being produced by the agri-food industry, the UK Government has selected the University of Lincoln, UK, to share with COP26 its cutting-edge robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technology which is influencing the future of sustainable food production. The UN Climate Change Conference COP26 takes place in Glasgow from 31 October 2021, aiming to bring together nations in accelerating action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT), a specialist research institute of the University of Lincoln, will be exhibiting at the public-facing ‘Green Zone’ exhibition alongside numerous industry leaders at the forefront of climate science. Lincoln’s researchers will be exhibiting ‘Robofruit’, one of many state-of-the-art agri-tech projects, which uses AI and novel picking technology to harvest ripe fruit. This research has long-term environmental benefits including reduced food waste by better utilising crops It will also help to address labour shortages in the UK, driving the route to larger scaled use of robotics and AI in agriculture. The University of Lincoln has one of Europe’s largest academic research centres for agri-robotics. Research carried out by LIAT aims to drive industry sustainability by addressing labour shortages, the need for global food production and to reduce the environmental impact of the farming sector. LIAT and partners are also responsible for Robot Highways, one of the world’s largest robotic farm demonstration projects which delivers a vision for the future of farming. Robots assist farmers by carrying out essential, energy intensive physical farm processes such as picking and packing fruit and treating crops to reduce critical pests and diseases – all powered by renewable energy. The COP26 exhibition will showcase various field activities – including agri-forestry, robotic harvesting and crop care as well as packaging, digitalization and the employment of artificial intelligence. Dr Amir Ghalamzan-Esfahani, Associate Professor in Robotics at the University of Lincoln, who will be showcasing Robofruit, said: “We are demonstrating to the world how robotics and automation are shaping the future of UK and international farming and food production. “The University of Lincoln is at the forefront of the UK’s agri-tech and agri-food developments, with our research and teaching supporting innovation and developing workforce skills alongside partners across our food and farming sectors. Together, we aim for a net zero emissions across the industry.” Professor Simon Pearson, Director of the University’s Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology, said: “The Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology is supporting and enhancing the future of food and agriculture productivity, efficiency, and sustainability through research, education, and technology. “We are honoured to be selected as one of the few UK universities to be selected by Government to showcase at COP26.” The University of Lincoln will be exhibiting at COP26 between 1 and 12 November. Whilst one of the University’s robots will be at COP26, a wider pool of technologies and speakers will be present at the FPC Futures Conference on 4th November at the Lincolnshire Show Ground, where members of the public can see technologies up close and speak to researchers. University staff and students will also be showing support by hosting a week of activities to encourage people on campus and across the wider community to learn more about climate action. More information can be found at www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/abouttheuniversity/sustainability/climateweek/

Recovery grant helps IT business serve more customers

A forced office move and reduced revenues due to the global pandemic meant Ashby de la Zouch-based business IT support provider UKBITS, faced an uncertain future last year. However, with the benefits to the environment caused by the lockdown coming into focus, the business developed an idea to not only do their bit for the planet but also develop another source of income. Microbusiness UKBITS was founded in 2006 by Simon Kilmister and Pete Rowell. Technician Tom Brecknell and Sales Coordinator, Helen Sutton make up the team of four. The IT company focuses on all aspects of business IT support, from desktops and laptops through to servers, cloud-based solutions and anything in between. The small team prides itself on offering a personalised service with no long-term contracts, supporting sole traders, charities and larger businesses across the East Midlands as well as international businesses with localised outlets. Since its inception, the business has had a close relationship with the Business Gateway Growth Hub, and values the advice and guidance offered. Helen commented: “Two of us were furloughed last year and although we retained our clients, many of them reduced their spend with us. Revenue was falling and although we looked into government Covid grants, we were ineligible for all of them as we didn’t pay business rates.” “It was during a regular catch up with Business Adviser, Aruna Bhagwan we found out about the Leicestershire Recovery Grant and our ideas began to formulate around a recycling project.” ‘Ashby IT Recycle’ was created after the team successfully received a £3,000 grant. It works on a repair, resell or recycle principle. When clients upgrade equipment, they often want to get rid of their old items. Ashby IT Recycle take these off their hands and repair them for resale or, after wiping them of any private data, break them down into components for recycling. This service along with IT advice is open to individuals as well as businesses, opening them up to a wider audience. The small grant has been used to set up a new recycling area in their warehouse with the purchase of a computer, label printer, camera and racking for storage. The project has gone down well, and the business will continue to offer this service going forward with the potential to create a new role in the future. Over the last 6 months Ashby IT Recycle has helped 105 new local customers and is establishing itself as the “go to” for securely recycling used IT equipment. Helen has also attended several Business Gateway and Digital Growth Programme webinars, both face to face and online, following advice from Aruna on which of these would be the most beneficial. She added: “It’s useful to keep learning and I’m a big fan of networking. The sessions keep you engaged, they are easy to watch and I always leave with something useful.” Now that Covid restrictions have eased, UKBITS is finding that most customers are reverting to their original monthly agreements and support hours. However, Helen says they continue to advertise and are running new sales campaigns. “Aruna gives us the confidence to drive forward. She has contact with other businesses and her feedback helps you realise that you’re actually doing well.” “Catching up with her regularly helps you focus. As a small business, we wear lots of different hats. It is easy to get away from my core role of sales, but I want the business to succeed and Aruna reminds me about what needs to be done to help us grow. We all need that from time to time!” Aruna commented: “I’ve enjoyed supporting Helen and the team. We’ve worked together to formulate new marketing campaigns and bounced ideas off each other. She is always willing to try new suggestions and it’s lovely to hear they have felt so supported, particularly during such a difficult period.” “I’m also pleased she has got so much out of the webinars, particularly the sales and social media sessions. It’s not always easy to identify what’s right for you especially when there are so many events out there, so I was happy to provide some guidance where I can.”

Budget benefits for Leicestershire’s small businesses

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The Chancellor’s budget, which was announced on Wednesday, contains some good news for small and medium businesses in Leicestershire.  The Business Gateway is keen to ensure that local businesses are aware of the positive changes that affect them and has produced a list of the main points that are relevant to SMEs and Microbusinesses. There is good news for businesses keen to go green and investment that will create green jobs in the region.  Leicestershire retail, leisure and hospitality sector received a 50% business rates cut to help it continue to recover after lockdown.  Pubs also receive a boost with a duty reduction for draught beers. Leicester’s theatres, museums and galleries get a welcome extension to tax relief which will also double for a period of time.  For young people seeking employment and local companies looking to expand, apprenticeship funding has been increased along with the national minimum wage.  The logistics and haulage sector which has been under strain recently also gets some relief in the form of investment in driver facilities and a tax freeze. Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, Chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, said: “It’s a landmark budget from the Chancellor today, covering a number of very important parts of the economy, where extra investment and rate reliefs will stimulate growth now and well into the future. “The Chancellor’s £7 billion tax cuts in Business Rate Relief for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure  sectors – the largest in 30 years – will go a long way to supporting areas of the economy which have been most significantly damaged by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.  As Chairman of Leicestershire’s Innovation Board, I was particularly pleased to see that there was also an important focus on nurturing innovation.” Investment expert, Lawrie Chandler of Edale, who is delivering the Business Gateway’s Access to Finance webinar programme, added: “Small businesses should also be pleased to see an extension to the Recovery Loan Scheme.  It was due to close in December but has been extended to June 2022, so businesses have more time to take advantage of this source of low-cost loans to help them grow.” Lawrie is leading a Business Gateway webinar on this topic on 4 November.  Interested businesses can book their place here: https://bit.ly/3FJRI8F   Budget headlines that benefit Leicestershire’s small and medium businesses include: – making business rates fairer and timelier, reviewing them every three years – an investment relief to encourage businesses to invest in greener technologies. – a new 50% business rates discount for the retail, leisure and hospitality sector, up to £110,000. – cutting the main duty rate on alcohol from 15 to 6% – a 5% reduction in the rate of duty on drinks from draught barrels of over 40 litres – extending tax relief for museums and galleries to March 2024. – Doubling tax relief for theatres, orchestras, museums and galleries –  Increasing apprenticeship funding to £2.7bn in 2024/25. – £30bn to create new green industries of the future – Planned rise in fuel duty scrapped. – Investment relief to encourage businesses to adopt green technologies such as solar panels. – Funding to develop more green transport options, including zero emissions vehicles. – new funding to improve lorry park facilities, the suspension of the HGV levy will be extended for a further year until 2023 and vehicle excise duty will be frozen for HGVs – £6.1bn to boost the number of zero-emission vehicles, develop greener planes and ships, and encourage more trips by bus, bicycle and foot. – £620m of new funding for public charge points and targeted zero emission vehicle grants – The National Living Wage will increase by 6.6% to £9.50 per hour.

Midlands contractor is set to double turnover after building on successful foundations

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A construction group with bases in Stoke on Trent and Derby has positioned itself for growth, with its turnover set to double by 2024, thanks to support from Lloyds Bank. Caxton Builders Midlands Ltd formed in 2010 to create brickwork subcontracting packages for blue chip construction companies across the UK. Thanks to significant growth over the last 10 years, the group now encompasses four businesses that specialise in different areas of the construction market. In August 2020, Caxton Group purchased Stofix UK – a ventilated brick façade system – resulting in it becoming the UK and Ireland’s sole distributor of the product. The firm works with architects and external building contractors to create and design cladding panels for both commercial and residential developers. The panels are then manufactured off-site, making it easier to install, while reducing the on-site build time needed compared to conventional brickwork. In March 2020, the majority of Caxton Group’s clients had to temporarily pause operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To ensure trading continued and that all 42 members of staff would receive full pay, the firm secured a £950,000 Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILs) via Lloyds Bank. Thanks to the support, Caxton Group was able to recommence operations quickly once restrictions allowed and begin onboarding new projects and clients. To facilitate this growth and to support cashflow while waiting for invoices to be paid, the firm secured a commercial finance facility from Lloyds Bank. A further £500,000 funding package was also received, enabling the business to take on additional clients. Now, Caxton Group expects to increase its turnover to £15m during 2021, up from £13.5m in 2020. It has also secured work until 2024, and expects turnover to double during this time, reaching £24 million. To support these growth plans, the firm plans to hire 20 new employees. John Webber, Group Chairman at Caxton Group, said: “We’re quite early on in our new partnership with Stofix but we’re already seeing outstanding results. Our customers know that the service we offer is of high quality, and thanks to the loyal base of clients we’ve built up across all of the businesses, we’re in a great position to grow even more over the coming years. “Thanks to the support from Lloyds Bank, we managed to have financial stability during what was a hugely challenging time. This meant we knew we could look after our staff, and clients, while gearing up for what is turning out to be a very successful year. “We look forward to expanding more over the next few years and welcoming both new employees, and clients, to the business.” Phil Poyser, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “Companies from all sectors, especially those that had to halt trading during the height of lockdown, have had significant hurdles to overcome. To see firms like Caxton Group not only survive but also thrive while supporting new jobs is just fantastic. “We’ll continue to be by the side of business across the UK as they position themselves for a successful future and capitalise on growth opportunities for years to come.”

Bray & Bray bolsters dispute resolution team with key appointment

East Midlands law firm Bray & Bray has bolstered its growing dispute resolution team with the appointment of Richard Woodward as an Associate Solicitor. Richard Woodward joins the firm from Midlands law firm Flint Bishop where he trained as a solicitor, and will work in the dispute resolution team that is headed up by commercial and civil litigation specialist Lorna Trueman. A registered member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS), Lorna Trueman joined Bray & Bray as Head of Dispute Resolution in 2020 from a leading regional law firm where she headed up the eight-strong dispute resolution team. In her role at Bray & Bray, Lorna, who is also a Partner at the firm, provides advice on a range of litigation matters, with significant experience in advising all types of businesses, including PLCs , SMEs, sole traders and partnerships. A significant part of her practice also includes complex and high value contentious probate disputes. The appointment of Richard will help accelerate the dispute resolution team’s ambitious growth plans, as Lorna explains: “Richard’s skills and experience make him the perfect fit for Bray & Bray, and will further enhance our ability to provide an outstanding level of service to clients. “As demand for the very best quality of advice in dispute resolution continues to rise due to the current economic climate and related challenges for businesses, there is a great deal of potential for growth across both our client base and our team. As a team, we look forward to playing a part in the firm’s continued growth and success.” Tim Gladdle, Senior Partner and Head of Corporate & Commercial Law at Bray & Bray, said: “Lorna and Richard’s appointments represent significant additions to the firm. Their proven specialist skills and expertise will help strengthen our high level of client service and are a clear indicator of our focused strategy for sustainable growth and continued excellence. “As Head of Dispute Resolution, Lorna has extensive experience in complex and high value commercial litigation, the backbone of which is providing her excellent advice and guidance to commercial businesses in disputes relating to contract, land, civil fraud, professional negligence and landlord and tenant issues. She is also highly skilled in dealing with contentious probate claims, having built a strong and established practice in this area.” “Disputes occur in both business and personal matters and it is important that our clients have the very best legal experts onside to ensure a swift and favourable resolution.” Tim adds. “The appointment of both Lorna and Richard provides Bray & Bray with the opportunity to further enhance and develop our portfolio of legal expertise throughout the firm.”

A Budget or more a spending spree as opposed spending review

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James Pinchbeck, Partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, offers his assessment of the Autumn Budget. “Listening to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget live, who would have thought that over the last 18 months we have experienced one of the biggest economic shocks and seen unprecedented levels of financial intervention from a government to support our economy and public welfare. It would be interesting to know if anyone has or was able to tot up the sums of money, billions and millions, pledged and earmarked in terms of public spending over the next few years. It certainly seemed to be a Budget based on our economic and social prosperity being driven by investment in both the public and private sector. Whilst few predicted that this would be a Budget of tax hikes, it was not unreasonable to think it might have included some, or some inkling of future changes. It looks like balancing the books is dependent on business innovation and investment, along with public sector and consumer spending giving rise to tax revenues from direct and indirect taxes.  With Government borrowing at a level not seen since the end of the Second World War, there is surely a risk of a bumpy ride ahead if growth targets are not achieved and levelling up doesn’t really lead to levelling up. The current rise in inflation is being, in part, attributed to increased and renewed global demand, particularly for goods following lockdown. This has led to supply chain issues along with increased energy costs linked to increased manufacturing and supply to meet such demand. It is given this background coupled with low interest rates that inflation will settle down and so too will supply chain issues. However, perhaps workforce shortages will still be a real concern. The OBR forecast that the UK economy will return to pre-pandemic levels by the turn of the year. Looking at the plethora of public sector spending announcements, few would disagree with much needed spending being allocated to our health service, education and infra structure projects, especially those that lead to a real levelling up. Those in the public sector will welcome the lift on the freeze for public sector pay increases. More specific announcements, for businesses in particular, included the reduction in Business Rates for those in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors including a 1-year discount of 50%, more frequent revaluations – every three years from 2023; and relief for adopting solar panels and a 12-month rate holiday on property improvements. For those businesses looking to make capital investments, the £1m Annual Investment Allowance will be extended to March 2023, instead of ending in December. The arts, museums, entertainment and culture sector will no doubt applaud the announcement that the covid support and recovery Creative Tax Reliefs will not only be doubled but that they will now remain in place until April 2023. Whilst considering relief those involved in innovation, including research and development, will be delighted to hear about the enhanced reliefs available for R &D, along with increased funding available to support such activity through Innovate UK. For those undertaking research involving cloud computing and data, they will be pleased to hear that such costs are now eligible for tax relief. Whilst the increase to the National Minimum Wage, for those aged over 23, from £8.91 to £9.50 an hour was announced before the Budget, few were perhaps aware of the pending changes to alcohol duty which focused going forward on these being ‘simpler, fairer and heathier’ – a key winner certainly seems to be English sparking wines and draft pulled beers/lagers all benefit from lower duties. Moving on to fuel duty, but not advocating a drive to the pub, the good news as we face unprecedent prices at the pump, was that fuel duty will again be frozen. It would be easy to think perhaps there was little in this Budget, in some ways it would be difficult not to agree. Perhaps the test will be around the impact and effectiveness of what seems to be an unprecedented public sector spending spree. In the Chancellor’s own words, it certainly seems like ‘an age of optimism’. For further in-depth commentary of the Autumn Budget & Spending Review 2021 you can still register for our virtual presentation at 12noon till 1pm on Thursday 28th October. All those registering and unable to join us live will receive a link to the presentation recording and a digital copy of our Budget Summary.” https://www.streetsweb.co.uk/about/events/autumn-budget-2021-spending-review/

Don’t sell carbon easily or cheaply, warns CAAV

Sequestered carbon is too important for farmers to sell it easily or cheaply, warns the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV). With all the talk about carbon, the rise in carbon trading schemes has accelerated at pace as pressure mounts on all businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, and as farmers look to capitalise on their assets before losing Basic Payment. However, sequestered carbon is too important for farmers to sell it hastily as it’s likely it will matter more to keep it for their own businesses, explains Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the CAAV. “Not only is the value of the carbon stored in farmers’ soils and woodland likely to increase in coming years, signing up to selling it might unwittingly tie them into restrictive agreements,” he warns. “More importantly, net zero isn’t just a target for corporate organisations to achieve through offsetting.  Farmers will also need to find and use their own sequestered carbon to offset their own emissions.  Selling carbon early will make that harder for the farmer,” he says. “Very basically, the simple business of being a farmer is about managing carbon, and if you are in a position where you can’t touch the carbon you have sold, this will limit your ability to farm.” Farmers also need to consider what penalties might be included in an agreement if they are unable to meet the carbon sequestering goal, explains Mr Moody. “If you commit to plant trees or ensure a percentage of carbon in your soils in a legal agreement, and then the land is compromised by events such as fire, disease or flooding, what fines could you be subject to and what is your liability?” Farmers also need to consider how long they would be tied in for and the impact this could have on things like developing and selling the land. “Instead, it could be safer to enter into agreements where farmers are paid to manage land in a carbon friendly manner like improving their soils, rather than just selling the carbon,” he advises. Even if farmers are considering their options to manage or plant woodland to sequester carbon, there are things to be wary of. “At farm level, the price is not great,” says Mr Moody. “One hectare of oak woodland could have gained £2,000 worth of carbon after 80 years with one of the main woodland carbon schemes. There just isn’t a great deal of value to sell.” And any area of woodland farmers think they can sell the carbon from will be smaller than they anticipate, as part of it will have to be kept back as a buffer for contingency and risk management while vulnerable to failure, disease and fire. Farmers might also unknowingly get tied into conservation designations, meaning they can’t fell trees when or if they need to. In particular, woodland under schemes will have to be replanted, even if it could be felled. Plus, woodland won’t be properly offsetting carbon unless it’s there for 100 years, says Mr Moody. “If it’s felled before then, much of the carbon held in the tree will be lost. “However, it’s important that carbon is stored in one way or another on farm – helping the farm to be net zero – and it might be that it’s better through soils. “Selling soil carbon could help farmers in the short term, but fetter them in the medium and long term,” says Mr Moody. “The value isn’t as great as people assume and the constraints could be crippling. All that glitters is not gold.”