Hi any advice on what grants the UK offer to generate a service eg. Free Range Eggs?

Hi beautiful peeps:

One can see on the government website info about grants, but my question is, is there a more layman website explaining what grants (if any) are available for someone wanting to say improve 1-2 acres of land (small holding style) for a service eg Free Range Eggs?

Any experience of people that have had help by any institutions much appreciated, or any advice in general.

Looking to buy some land, any size less than 2 acres really, pretty much anywhere in the lower part of Britain to live on a temp. accommodation and help produce food for the community.

Looking to spend  10-15 for a small parcel of land and looking for any loans, mortgages or grants to help.

Thank you

David

To my knowledge there isn't a whole lot available in the UK on small parcels of land. You need 12 acres just to be able to build agricultural buildings without extensive planning permission, and getting permission to actually live on the land is incredibly difficult. This is a bit easier in Scotland and Wales as they have smallholding/crofting law- but England doesn't have anything this useful.

I live in the East Midlands in an old coal mining village and an acre here will still go for £25K+. The smaller the parcel of land, the more expensive it is per acre. Keep an eye out at land auctions or private sales- I find the guide price at auctions isn't worth the paper it is written on though- here land goes for double the guide price. It might be worth visiting some auctions to see if this pans out in your area too.

Thank you for you response, it really is priceless.

About the land auctions that makes sense with the price doubling what they list, maybe to get people to the auction. I always wondered if i could ever get a land mortgage to buy something at auction, and what the auctions themselves were like as (as you said) the prices for the land always seems on the low end (as i said probably to get people there).

Thank you for sharing your experience ill consider it further,

as always thank you.

I believe you need to be registered as a farm to claim any form of subsidy.
This website contains the most information I could find on what and who can be registered. There does not appear to be a minimum land area that can be registered.

Land mortgages exist, in my experience they're usually aimed at builders (including self build). There are agricultural mortgages but you usually need to be a company to get one (setting yourself up as a limited company or sole trader isn't difficult though).

Buying at auction with a mortgage can be hard as you have to pay within 28 days- mortgages can take a lot longer than that to go through! There's usually penalties for not paying on time, so a short term loan might be a needed (but this has much higher interest rates than a mortgage).

Most auctions you can bid online or over the phone now, so don't have to physically be present- which makes things easier! Carefully read the terms and conditions, sometimes the percentage levied by the auction house on the final price can be significant!

Be careful to read any restrictions that have been put on the land  there are some plots here in Scotland that can't be fenced off due to habitation concerns of wild animals. It is not just nature reserves that come under the banner of protected habitat. 1 way that I have seen people get started is to look for uncared for or derelict land that is part of an existing farm and approach the land owner directly. Some areas are not suitable for large scale agriculture so it is left unmanaged.
Just some ideas hope it helps.

Thank you for the replies. <3