Temporary car parks on farm land need careful consideration

摘要

Farmers planning to allow public car parking on fields must be aware of strict rules on land use, the NFU and legal advisers have warned.Public visits to the countryside have rocketed since the coronavirus pandemic began and many farmers have allowed parking on their land to ease vehicle congestion.However, this could infringe rules under environmental schemes, the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), insurance and some tenancies.Basic Payment Scheme Under BPS, car parking is allowed for 28 days or fewer in a calendar year, an NFU spokeswoman said. However, the land must still be used primarily for farming or must be removed from the BPS claim.