The North East Cotswolds Farming Cluster (NECFC) is a Community Interest Company aiming to regenerate the landscape, enhance natural capital, address climate challenges, and strengthen farm business resilience. It now includes 160 members managing 55,000 hectares.
62 members are engaged in a £100M, 10-year landscape recovery project focused on restoring the heavily polluted and historically channelised River Evenlode catchment. Objectives include:
- Creating and linking key habitats (e.g. species-rich grassland, wetlands, ponds, watercourses)
- Improving soil health and resilience (e.g. building soil carbon, minimising leaching and introducing more diverse and resilient cropping)
- Accessing public/private finance (e.g. BNG, carbon and biodiversity credits, ELMs, water markets)
Funding
Farmers receive participation fees. Investment comes from BNG, woodland and soil carbon credits, voluntary BNG and water markets.
Brief
Stephen Sykes led a legal team, including barristers from 39 Essex Chambers with expertise in agricultural, tax, and environmental law, to advise NECFC on optimal corporate structure, land tenure issues, and environmental permitting. A central challenge was aligning the CIC’s community focus (with its asset lock) with investor needs and member reward mechanisms.
Outcome
The result was a 65-page report, “Landscape Recovery: Legal Structure, Tenure, Tax and Permits”, delivering 21 actionable recommendations now being implemented. A key aspect of the legal advice was exploring legal structures that could attract investors while ensuring NECFC members receive fair financial rewards for their varied contributions—an essential consideration given the CIC’s asset lock. Findings were also shared with DEFRA.
Testimonial
Tim Coates, NECFC Director:
“This was complex and multi-faceted work, not least because the Landscape Recovery Scheme is so new. The work was also of great strategic importance to NECFC and indeed to the wider development of nature markets in the UK. The advice was provided on time and within budget. We were delighted to work with Stephen and hope to work with him again in the future.”
Links