Council told what it can do to help Worcestershire's farmers
FARMERS are asking the county council for more support with planning and digital connectivity.
Worcestershire's county advisor for the NFU spoke to councillors at an economy scrutiny panel on Thursday (January 23).
Emma Hamer said: 'In terms of digital connectivity, I acknowledge great things have been done and I understand we are over 98 percent connected now in the county but it does tend to be the most rural farmers who don't have digital connectivity.
'We want the government to offer all types of broadband, and not just fibre.'
Adam Kent, Worcestershire County Council's cabinet member for economy and skills, said: 'We've just won £41.9m from the government to improve broadband coverage across Worcestershire.'
READ MORE: I sat aboard a tractor for Worcester's farmers' protest
READ MORE: Farm tax 'threatens Worcestershire's rural landscape'
The NFU representative said farmers would also welcome more support in planning.
'Sometimes farmers and growers put in planning applications and they are very delayed before they can be looked at,' she said.
'Sometimes there does seem to be, not a policy of enabling. There seems to be reasons to say no rather than to say yes.
'We'd like to encourage making food security a material consideration, to ensure the public have good strong domestic food production.
'Sometimes there are things farmers are asked to do through regulation to improve the facilities, things like slurry handling and planning can hold that up.'
She said in National Landscapes, previously called Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 'sometimes visual impacts are considered above productivity and businesses'.
'It would be welcome if in the new unitary authority, the culture is given greater consideration.'
She also called on the council to back farmers trying to increase their incomes using diversification schemes.
'A lot of farmers don't make an awful lot of money from farming and rely on diversified incomes,' she said.
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