Council leader, councillor Paul Marshall, visited a dairy farm near Arundel to reiterate the council’s support for the county’s farmers and growers after he wrote to Defra Secretary Steve Reed, in December, urging for the planned changes to inheritance tax to be scrapped.
The council is highlighting the devastating impact they could have on rural communities and important environmental work in Sussex.
Mr Marshall said: “West Sussex County Council stands in support of our farmers in their disapproval of the government’s inheritance tax plans.
“I have spoken with many farmers in Sussex and heard their stories of how this could be devastating for our rural communities and see farms held by generations lost because of this tax.
“In our letter to the Defra Secretary we have set out the council’s concerns that the proposed tax will have a devastating impact on many family farms with little or no impact on those investing in land purely to avoid tax.
“We have also explained that the emerging West Sussex Local Nature Recovery Strategy requires strong collaboration with local agricultural stakeholders and environmental partners to drive initiatives to protect and enhance biodiversity across the county and that farms that stay in family ownership are better positioned to continue practices that support wildlife corridors, habitat preservation, and sustainable land stewardship.
“We will continue to challenge the government on this proposal and back our farmers in their continued fight.”
Mr Marshall discussed the campaign and other key farming issues with NFU West Sussex Vice Chair Frans de Boer, NFU West Sussex Council Representative Caroline Harriott and apprentice farmer Oscar Smith at the meeting.
He was joined by West Sussex County Council deputy leader Deborah Urquhart and county councillor for Pulborough Charlotte Kenyon, who put forward the motion which led to the council writing to Defra.
Mr Marshall also attended the recent NFU Farming Day of Unity event at Worthing Pier, where he received heartfelt letters from children in local farming families urging the government to not take away their futures.
The NFU’s Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign is calling on the government to reconsider its planned changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief and this week the NFU and other organisations met with the Treasury to seek solutions.
The NFU says the government is working off the wrong figures and has miscalculated the impact of the changes, with concerns they could force many small and medium-sized family farms out of business.
All the UK’s major supermarkets have publicly stated their concerns over the threat to national food security.
Mrs Harriott said: “All three councillors are fully supportive of our campaign.
“We discussed the importance of giving young people a future in farming, so it was great to have young apprentice Oscar there, on National Apprenticeship Week.
“We spent a good two-and-a-half hours discussing this and other important issues.
“The councillors recognise how farmers and growers are at the heart of the community and want to see us at local meetings, having our voices heard.”