THOUGHT

SHROPSHIRE’S
LEADING
INDEPENDENT
TIMBER MERCHANT
• Reclaimed and Oak
Railway Sleepers.
• Fencing Materials. Trellis.
• Quality Decking.
• Large Stocks of Sawn
Timbers and Plywood.
• A Wide Range of
Fencing Posts.
• Roofi ng Materials.
• Crash Barriers
• BSL approved Wood Pellets.
Railway Sleepers
Garden Fencing
Firewood
Farm Gates
G.S & P.A REEVES LTD
New House Farm, The Lowe, Wem, Shropshire, United Kingdom. SY4 5UN
Tel: 01939 232 440 / 233812
www.gsreeves.co.uk
FARMING
Apply for grant aid
Shropshire farmers are
being encouraged
to apply for grant
aid, if they have any major
development projects
planned for 2017.
The rural professional team at Halls is
encouraging farmers to consider applying
for a grant from the Southern Shropshire
LEADER programme.
The call comes after the company
helped Shropshire contractor Andrew
Phillips to diversify his thriving farming
operation by buying a mobile wood chipping
machine, a project part financed by the
European Agricultural Fund for Rural
Development.
Andrew and his wife run a 150-acre
arable farm at Orchard Barn, Stapleton,
near Shrewsbury as well as operating a
successful agricultural contracting business.
They spotted a gap in the market as many
farmers now require wood chips for either
livestock bedding or renewable energy.
Farm owners are currently buying in
wood chips or sending timber for processing
at great cost. Contract mobile wood
chipping, which is a natural extension to
services already provided by the business
AJ and SE Phillips, helps farmers to
control costs and contributes to woodland
management across the county by enabling
landowners to utilise home-grown timber in
a sustainable way.
Andrew sought help from the rural
professional team at Halls to complete his
application for the LEADER grant, which
is managed by Shropshire Council for
the Rural Development Programme for
England.
Both Louise Preece and Stuart
Richards, based at Halls’ headquarters in
Shrewsbury, contributed to the process and
said they were delighted to help secure the
funding needed to buy the wood chipping
machine.
“LEADER funding is made available to
successful applicants who have a project
that creates jobs, helps a local business
grow and benefits the wider rural economy,”
explained Stuart.
Union asks for careful use of drones
The NFU is urging Shropshire farmers
to voice their views after the government
announced a consultation on the safe use
of drones in the UK.
The team has welcomed the move and
called for more protection for landowners
affected by antisocial drone use.
Proposed measures being consulted
on include mandatory registration of
new drones over 250g, a theory test for
users, increased penalties for misuse
of the technology and potential new
criminal offences to deter and address
misbehaviour.
NFU vice president Guy Smith said:
“There are exciting developments in
the pipeline for on-farm done use, such
as crop applications, which could keep
British farming at the cutting edge and
internationally competitive.
“However, we are also very aware of
instances of irresponsible use of drones by
members of the public and have already
seen the first instances of sheep worrying
by drones.
“We are calling for government to
address this and are hopeful that any
new legislation will introduce measures to
63
Seen with the mobile wood chipping machine are Andrew Phillips (left) and Peter Banford
of Shropshire Council, who manages the Southern Shropshire LEADER programme
“With another round of funding due to
become available early in 2017, it’s a good
time for farmers, who have a business
project in mind, to consider making a grant
application.”
Andrew has been involved in
agriculture since the 1980s and has seen
his contracting enterprise grow since 2007
to become the mainstay of his business.
The Southern Shropshire LEADER
programme’s next funding round opens
closes on Monday, February 8, with future
funding rounds open later in the year.
To date, the Southern Shropshire
LEADER Local Action Group has approved
10 projects with a total grant allocation to
date of £305,250.
Eligible projects receive between
£2,500 and £40,000 and 70 per cent
of them must directly support the rural
economy, through creating and supporting
micro and small rural businesses.
The remaining 30 per cent of projects
must demonstrate that they are contributing
to improving the rural economy.
• For more information about the
LEADER application process, contact Stuart
Richards at Halls on 01743 450700 or Peter
Banford at Shropshire Council on 01743
254796.
protect farmers and landowners from this
behaviour.
“In any instance, we would stress
to drone owners the importance of not
flying near livestock, who react in very
unpredictable ways.
“There is risk of causing distress to the
animals, sometimes fatal, and it can lead to
trampling.
“These actions impact greatly on farm
businesses.
“We therefore urge that care is
taken when flying in areas of farmland in
particular.”