Quadring councillor calls on South Holland District Council leader to write in support of farmers

Council leaders have been asked to write to the Government to support farmers in their protest against inheritance tax.

South Holland District Council leader Coun Nick Worth was asked to write by fellow cabinet member, Coun Henry Bingham, during the questions without notice section of the authority’s recent meeting.

Coun Bingham, who is a director of Crossroads Nurseries in Quadring, said he took part in the recent NFU protest in London in fight against changes to the to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) taxation.

The Government will be collecting a 20% tax rate on agricultural assets valued over £1million following the measure announced in the October budget - and says this is to fund public services such as the NHS.

But the NFU has disputed officials’ claims that around three quarters of farm businesses in England will be unaffected by the changes but is also arguing that few viable farms are worth under £1 million and that the Treasury is working off the wrong figures.

During Wednesday’s full council meeting Coun Bingham, who is the portfolio holder for assets and strategic planning, accused the Labour government of ‘waging war’ against rural Britain.

He said: “They will do more damage to rural Britain than any government before them.”

The Donington, Quadring and Gosberton councillor went onto ask the Coun Worth to speak to his counterparts at East Lindsey District and Boston Borough Councils.

Coun Worth said this inheritance tax policy would have potentially have a massive affect on this area and said he was more than happy to speak to the other leaders.