This grant funding offers a great opportunity for rural businesses who are looking to improve productivity and capacity, along with the diversification into new markets and businesses.

Cameron Knee, Graduate Farm Consultant, in the Morpeth office of Strutt & Parker says, “Farm businesses who are looking to grow and/or diversify their enterprises should certainly consider this funding stream.”

Cameron is one of three new consultants who have joined the Strutt & Parker Morpeth office, strengthening the rural services provided by the firm’s northern team. As a Newcastle University graduate, he has joined the farming department team following previous experience working for Farmcare in Cambridgeshire and the Glen Lyon Estate in Perthshire.

Claire Noble has also joined the land management team as an Assistant Surveyor. She previously worked with H&H Land and Property in Carlisle and is currently completing a MProf Rural Estate and Land Management postgraduate degree.

Claire says, “This is a different funding stream to LEADER and CSS and offers up to 40% grant support.”

Claire, whose family have a livestock farm in Ousby near Penrith in which she remains closely involved, also has a degree in Animal Science with Livestock Technology and a masters in Farm and Agri-business Management.

She continues, “The programme is governed by stakeholders from the North East Farming and Rural Advisory Network and the deadline for applications is 31 January 2018, grants are available from a minimum grant level of £10,000 to £60,000, with the focus on environment, tourism, renewable energy, manufacturing and the food and drink industries.”

The third member to recently join the team is Fraser McKenna from Hexham. Fraser joined the planning and development department after graduating this year with a first class honours degree in Estate Management. While studying for his degree, he worked at Adderstone Group in Newcastle for a year as a commercial estates surveyor and Walton Robinson as a property consultant.

Alistair Cochrane, Partner in Charge of Strutt & Parker’s Morpeth office, said: “I am delighted to welcome Cameron, Claire and Fraser to our Morpeth team.”

“The arrival of three new recruits further strengthens our farming, land management and planning & development departments. It cements our unique position in being able to offer a truly integrated rural consultancy service from one office. This ranges from Basic Payment Scheme applications, countryside stewardship guidance and field agronomy, through to tenancy issues, valuation and property sales, to farm-scale and urban fringe property development.”

“My colleagues and I look forward to working with Fraser, Cameron and Claire and seeing them develop long and successful careers with Strutt & Parker.”