Agenda item

To provide an update on how Local Farmers are managing climate adaptation, specifically in relation to the unique Fens environment and for members to note the summarised DEFRA report.

Members received a presentation from Rob Wise of the NFU.

Members made comments’ asked questions and received responses as follows:

·         Councillor Marks stated he would like to know the view on Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plants as there has been peat disappearing over the years which happens for a multiple of reasons but there are now fields after fields feeding these AD plants and the tractors on the fields are puddling the land and he feels this is contributing to the flooding issues in this area because the fields are not recovering as the water is just laying on the top of the field and the peat is soaking into the clay below. Rob Wise responded on the issues surrounding AD plants these can be similar to root cropping, the growing of the maze and potatoes which is undertaken on cropping licences, annual cropping licence and sometimes landowner farmers who grant these cropping licenses, looking for short-term return. It is undeniable that the effect on the movement of soil from the fields if there is only a short-term interest does constitute as much attention as when there is a long-term interest in that land. He added this is a difficult area to legislate or regulate on whether to constrain individual farmers or landowners in decisions about how that land is used. Councillor Marks made the point that there are many solar farms in this area taking up good soil where good crops could be grown but the fields have instead been covered in glass panels which are catching all the water, and he would like to know what the NFU view is on this as opposed to the land being used for its proper use and solar farms being placed in lesser land usage? Rob Wise responded that generally the NFU has taken the view that the not best used land should be prioritised for solar but as an organisation the NFU cannot dictate to individual businesses how they use their land, all the NFU can do is make the point of the best available land that should be prioritised, there is increasing innovation within the solar industry to allow for increased cropping use, possible vertical panel arrangements  and high level mounted arrangements being introduced that will allow for cultivation underneath the panels.

·         Councillor Taylor raised concerns about the operation of the NFU. Rob Wise agreed to take his concerns away.

·         Councillor Clark stated he felt the committee needed to be careful where it strays in terms of Fenlands most rural communities including farming matters that the Council are responsible for the Council are not responsible for, with what has been mentioned today he cannot see how the committee can bring value to this presentation. Rob Wise responded he was invited to share the climate reviews and values the interest from the committee. He added that he is pleased to see this committee has been developed to support the rural and farming community and looks forward to the committee adding value to future ventures.

Councillor Taylor left the meeting at this point and Councillor Mrs French took the chair.

·         Councillor Count stated he found the peat reports very interesting as he was part of the early committees being developed alongside the universities. He added as the data is still being worked on at what stage does the NFU think it will be able to give an update or a report that can be used with the overall figures as he has had many people comment that they would like to rewet the Fens from the figure that were produced which are not accurate now, and it would be nice to have the updated information to help with some of these conversations. Rob Wise stated the NFU are getting close to being able to share the new data with Fenland soil has being at the heart of the reports looking at greenhouse gasses and emissions coming from deep peat soil verses Skirt Fens versus grassland verses crop land and as the emissions data is collated and put together, the actual data with the extent of peat left has painted a broader picture, so there are partial figures that can be shared now and the NFU are pushing for the global figure to be shared by the end of the year.

·         Councillor Marks commented that this committee cannot change what has been spoken about today and that his concern was about the land usage seen now with peat going and the AD plants and the damage it is doing to the land. He feels it will not be long before farmers say they cannot do anything with the land, then it will come into planning because someone will want to build houses on the land as it is not profitable for use, so he feels this does impact the area and the amount of water that comes off the land needs to be taken into consideration.

Members noted the latest update from the NFU.