We are pleased to announce that Clare Maxwell has passed her RICS Final Assessment in November 2011, earning the MRICS qualification.  Clare has worked for the firm since leaving University for the last two years, moving to our Castle Douglas office and working with John Neil for the last 14 months.  Clare is now a qualified Chartered Surveyor and retains the firm's proud 100% pass record of candidates since the APC was introduced.

Clare will continue to look after our Castle Douglas office and work with John.

Davidson & Robertson Rural, Scotland’s oldest firm of Land Agents, celebrated their 120^th birthday this week.

The Scottish Government has announced it's intentions to deliver an Agri Renewables Strategy for Scotland to allow landowners and mangers to unlock the green economy potential of their land.

The strategy will consider key challenges, including:

• Understanding the Planning System
• Access to independent advice
• Pre-construction costs
• Grid Connections

For further details of the Strategy, please follow the link to the government release.

If you are planning a renewable energy project and need independent guidance and advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Craig Wilson have appointed John A Neil Rural to deliver the full range of Land Agency services from their 2 bases at Ayr and Newton Stewart. Managing Director Martin Hall comments “we are delighted to be given the opportunity to provide our service offering to the customers of Craig Wilson”

L-R  Mike Craig, Huw Connick, Niall Milner, Clare Maxwell, John Neil, Martin Hall, Charles Reid Thomas and Jim Craig

The Scottish Government have announced that the next round of Rural Priorities Regional Proposal Assessment Committees (RPACs) will take place in September 2011, and will consider applications for Axis 2 projects only.

Axis 2 - Improving the environment and the countryside by supporting land management.  The options available under the axis can be viewed using the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/SRDP/RuralPriorities/Options

The timetable is as follows:

• Applications to be submitted by 15 June 2011
• Applications to be committed by 15 July 2011
• RPACs to be held from 19-30 September 2011

Applicants should ensure that all supporting documentation they wish to have considered as part of their application is provided by the dates above.

If you are considering an application under Rural Priorities or require any further information then please contact Clare Maxwell at our Castle Douglas office.

We are pleased to announce that Chris Edmunds, who worked for us during his sandwich year as part of his Rural Enterprise and Land Management degree at Harper Adams University, was one of 6 winners of the Aspire Award.

The Award recognises those who have achieved at the highest level as a result of their placement. This clearly reflects well on Chris' ability and explains why we're delighted to be welcoming him back as full time employee in August.

The firm remains committed to the training of all its staff and is glad to see this reflected in Chris' own endeavours.

For further details please follow the link.

Davidson & Robertson Rural is delighted to announce our involvement in the First Milk Direct Wind Turbine Renewable Project. In partnership with First Milk Direct and Land Engineering we are now part of the team able to offer a “one stop shop” solution for any First Milk Member interested in pursuing renewable technology on farm.

Making use of the  Feed in Tariff scheme is an attractive investment on farm, which compliments the high electricity demands of modern dairying. The initial step of the project is a feasibility survey to establish the wind resource, electricity supply constraints, planning constraints and other material factors to allow an accurate assessment of the viability of a scheme on the holding. For further details of the scheme as a whole please click here.

Director Charles Reid Thomas comments “This partnership is an exciting further step into the green energy sector and an excellent opportunity for First Milk members. It builds on our existing expertise in this field ranging from individual turbines to major wind farm developments”.

First Milk Members wanting to apply for the project should contact First Milk in the first instance on 0141 847 6813. For any other queries in relation to renewable technologies please contact Charles Reid Thomas or Huw Connick. We will be providing updates on this project at regular intervals, and hope you will come back and visit our site soon.

Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has made a statement that the coalition government is commencing with the first review of the Feed-in-Tariff (FITs) Scheme.

The review has been prompted by fears over the explosion of commercial "solar farms" diverting funds away from the small scale projects the scheme was brought in to assist.

The FITs review will:

• Assess all aspects of the scheme including tariff levels, administration and eligibility of technologies
• Be completed by the end of the year, with tariffs remaining unchanged until April 2012 (unless the review reveals a need for greater urgency)
• Fast-track consideration of large scale solar projects (over 50kW) with a view to making any resulting changes to tariffs as soon as practical, subject to consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny as required by the Energy Act 2008.

Any changes as a result of the review will not be retrospective and will therefore only affect new entrants once the review findings are implemented. As such we recommend that those planning a FITs scheme project do not delay in bringing it forward. For further details please contact Huw Connick of our Castle Douglas office.

Associate Director Niall Milner will become a Director of the firm in January 2011. Niall has been with the firm since joining from University in 2001 and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2003. Niall has been based at our Lanark office since 2007. Niall has a wealth of experience in compulsory purchase and compensation and acts as agent for several landowners affected by the Airdrie Bathgate Railway link, as well as representing landowners affected by Water and Electricity projects. From Lanark he manages several Estates through Lanarkshire and the Borders.

The Lanark Office offers the full range of professional services to clients including valuation, compulsory purchase and compensation, planning and estate management.

The Scottish Government Agriculture Minister, Richard Lochhead, announced budget cuts to the SRDP this month at Agriscot.

Whilst this does not effect existing schemes it clearly impacts on future projects and current applications that are being assessed in an already competitive environment.

If you have any questions please contact Clare Maxwell or Huw Connick in our Castle Douglas office.

Davidson & Robertson Rural are pleased to launch their Small Scale Renewable Energy Service for clients; providing independent advice to farmers and landowners on wind turbines to take advantage of the Feed In Tariff subsidy on renewable energy projects.

We can guide clients from inception, feasability, funding, planning, to building and completion. For further information please contact Huw Connick at our Castle Douglas office.

On Saturday 12th June five intrepid adventurers from Davidson & Robertson Rural struck past Balquidder to Inverlochlarig to start their ascent of Cruach Ardrain (1046m) for the bi-annual WaterAid Charity Munro Challenge.

The route started with the "bagging" of Beinn Tulaichean (946m) before tackling Cruach Ardrain. The fine weather spurred the team on with them arriving at the Challenge Munro for 1pm - comfortably within the midday to two o'clock challenge window set by the organisers.

L-R Martin Hall, Michael Reid Thomas, Niall Milner, Edward Dunbar, Chris Edmunds

After descending to the Inverlochlarig Burn the team quickly returned to the car and celebrated their success with a well earned pint at the Kings House Hotel.

• Immediate rent reductions;
  
• Consent to assign to a third party (usually for amalgamation of networks);
  
• Amendment to terms of tenancy
  
• Early termination of lease.
  

Organiser and coordinator Michael Reid Thomas commented "the pathways in and around rural Edinburgh look so much better if they can be kept clean and our effort this year will, I hope, encourage others to take their litter home rather than discard it. Our local community will certainly benefit from a litter free environment".

L-R: Martin Hall, Micheal Reid Thomas, Ed Dunbar and Clare Maxwell

We are pleased to announce the opening of our "John A Neil" office in Castle Douglas on 1st February.  Both John Neil and Huw Connick will be based there.  The contact details can be found under the following link http://www.johnaneil.com/.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warned about the dangers of working close to overhead power lines, after a soft fruit farming company and its owner were prosecuted following the electrocution of a worker. On average two people are killed and many more are injured every year when they come into contact with overhead power lines during agricultural work.  Work which risks contact with overhead power lines should not take place within nine metres either side of a live power line.  Machinery and equipment does not need to touch power lines for electricity to be transmitted because electricity can arc or jump across gaps.  Farmers should be reminded that it is not just machinery that conducts electricity, a jet of water or liquid slurry; a piece of metal or fishing rod may also do the same.

On Saturday 6th June Martin Hall, Andrew Miller and Daniel Duncan were ably assisted by staff of Gillespie MacAndrew solicitors in their ascent of the iconic Cobbler as part of the 2009 Water Aid Trail 100 Challenge. The Challenge was to put a team of walkers on the top of every mountain/hill in the Trail Magazine Top 100 of the UK. The sponsored walkers helped WaterAid achieve their challenge and in the process climbed a true Scottish Classic

And the results ………….

Davidson & Robertson Rural is pleased to announce that Associate Director Niall Milner is now a qualified Energy Assessor able to deliver Residential Property Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

The new £120 million Clackmannanshire Bridge over the Firth of Forth was officially opened by First Minister Alex Salmond on the 19th November 2008.

The crossing, designed to alleviate traffic pressure on the Kincardine Bridge, is the second largest of its type in the world. It includes an extensive network of new cycleways and footpaths and provides transport links between Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Fifem improving road safety and opening up the wider area to economic benefits.

Approximately 20,000 vehicles per day are predicted to use the new bridge, with traffic on the existing Kincardine bridge reduced from approximately 30,100 vehicles per day at present to approximately 18,100 vehicles.

Davidson & Robertson Rural represented a number of landowners and occupiers on the route of the new bridge and associated roads, securing compensation for the compulsory purchase of clients' land and agreeing accommodation works to mitigate the effect of the road on their remaining property.

 For further information on the bridge itself, click here

The £120 million pound Katrine Water Project, designed to improve the drinking water quality for 700,000 people in the Greater Glasgow area, is Scotland's largest engineering works for the water industry and was officially opened by the Queen on 3rd July 2008.

The use of Loch Katrine to supply drinking water to Glasgow dates back to Victorian times and has served Glasgow well for nearly 150 years. In fact the original scheme was officially opened by Queen Victoria in 1859. In recent times however more stringent regulations regarding water drinking quality has resulted in a need for the upgrading of the treatment of Loch Katrine Water for drinking.

Davidson & Robertson Rural was brought in at an early stage of the project to act as lead land agent and valuation consultant. We were involved in land searches to identify the land use, land owners and occupiers of the various option sites. Once the preferred option was identified a detailed valuation exercise was undertaken and negotiations commenced with land owners for the acquisition of approximately 35 acres on the edge of prosperous Milngavie. Negotiated settlements were successfully reached with all the landowners without recourse to Compulsory Purchase. In addition wayleaves were negotiated and agreed for over 12km of large diameter mains and associated pipework.

Construction started in 2004 with the main elements being a new, 240,000 mega litres/day direct filtration plant and the provision of an additional 160,000 mega litres treated water storage capacity. The additional storage capacity is provided by two 80,000 mega litre tanks, the biggest ever constructed in Scotland. The works were commissioned in October 2007.

The original 26 mile aqueduct linking Loch Katrine with the water treatment works at Milngavie was considered a feat of Victorian engineering. The new scheme is every bit as impressive.

Further information is available here.

The latest company newsletter is available for download from the link on the front of our homepage.

Enjoy and let us know what you think.

From 3^rd September as part of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, the Repairing Standard sees a modification and extension of the landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain a property.

The landlord has to ensure that the house meets the Repairing Standard at the start and throughout the tenancy. It also applies to existing tenancies as well as those beginning after 3^rd September.

If you are affected by the Repairing Standard and have any queries, please contact Charles Reid Thomas or Niall Milner.

Davidson & Robertson Rural have been appointed by Scottish Borders Council to manage the properties acquired for the high profile Waverley Railway Project.

Martin Hall comments - 'we are delighted to have been selected to assist with this exciting project, and this appointment fits well with our strong Estate Management and Infrastructure Services'.

Contact details for the office are as follows:-

Davidson & Robertson Rural

Lanark Agricultural Centre

Muirglen

Hyndford Road

Lanark

ML11 9AX

T: 01555 66 66 55

E: lanark@davidsonandrobertson.co.uk

We are delighted to announce the promotion of Niall Milner to position of Associate Director within the firm. Niall has been with the firm since 2001, and qualified as a Rural Chartered Surveyor in 2003.  He has been instrumental in the setting up the Lanark office. Niall is presently Chairman of RICS matrics in SE Scotland and is a Careers Champion for the RICS.

On 1st June Davidson & Robertson Rural celebrated 50 years since the death of one its founding partners - "WM" Robertson - who died whilst golfing at Gleneagles in 1956. Staff of the firm were joined by a number of older colleagues who either worked with,or knew WM all those years ago.

Landlords have until 30th April to register with their Local Authority as a fit and proper person for the purpose of letting Residential Property.

After the 30th April it will be illegal to let property if you are not already registered. This includes arrangements where a rent is not exchanged such as tied housing or grace and favour occupation.

If you have any questions, or a struggling with the registration process, please do not hesitate to contact Niall Milner.

The Rural Empty Properties Grant scheme(REPG) is run by Communities Scotland.  Its main aim is to increase the amount of affordable rural property on the market by helping to fund development projects. 

It focuses mainly on residential properties that are in an uninhabited condition,  or non-residential properties in need of conversion.  However, it will also consider houses that are inhabited, but below the tolerable standard. There are also various other criteria that the grant provider will consider when an application is made.

The maximum amount of grant money available for any project is 33% of the project cost, however this may be increased in special circumstances.

The grant policy stipulates that the property in question must be rented out as affordable housing for a period of no less than 5 years. The grant provider will either be Communities Scotland or the local authority, depending on the area in question.

After the five year period of renting the property as a affordable housing, the owner has the freedom to either continue renting  the property as affordable housing or expose it to the open market.

For further information please contact Merle Robertson at: merlerobertson@davidsonandrobertson.co.uk

Well done to Sarah Rennie & Peter Gayford who both passed the RICS APC (Assesment of Professional Competence) in November to become qualified "MRICS."

Martin Hall comments, "We are delighted that both candidates passed. We recruit one or two candidates each year who are put onto our structured training programme. The high level of support we provide pays dividends and this can be seen in our 100% pass rate since the APC was introduced 15 years ago, with all passing on first sitting!

DOUNE & DUNBLANE SHOW - Saturday   2^nd July 2005

DALKEITH SHOW - Saturday   9^th July 2005

BIGGAR SHOW - Saturday 23^rd July 2005

PEEBLES SHOW - Saturday 14^th August 2005

YARROW SHOW - Saturday 10^th September 2005

The six week consultation has just begun on the Finalised West Lothian Local Plan. Landowners in West Lothian should familiarise yourselves with the content so far, as it may affect you. We are assisting a large number of landowners with development opportunities.

If you wish to discuss how we might be able to help you please contact Martin Hall or Andrew Miller.

Those with farming businesses must make sure that they meet the 16th May deadline for submission of their 2005 IACS Field Data Sheets and Single Application Form (SAF). Failure to do so could mean the loss of valuable Single Farm Payment Scheme entitlements.

If you need assistance please contact Martin Hall.

Davidson & Robertson Rural are pleased to reveal that Kilpunt Steading near Broxburn is for sale. The Steading has featured in the Scotsman Property Supplement and is an excellent opportunity for Developers.

Please see the Property section of the web page for further information.