{"id":68186,"date":"2025-12-23T17:14:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T17:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=68186"},"modified":"2025-12-23T17:14:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T17:14:36","slug":"welcome-concession-is-a-win-for-farmers-and-rural-communities-across-devon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/welcome-concession-is-a-win-for-farmers-and-rural-communities-across-devon\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome concession is a win for farmers and rural communities across Devon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Devon County Councillor, Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin has welcomed the government’s announcement today (Tuesday 23 December) that it will increase the inheritance tax threshold for farmers from \u00a31 million to \u00a32.5 million.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government had intended to impose a 20% tax on inherited agricultural assets worth more than \u00a31 million from April 2026, ending the 100% tax relief that has been in place since the 1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“Under the original proposals, many family-run farms would have faced being financially crippled,” said Cllr Cottle-Hunkin, Cabinet Member responsible for rural affairs, and fifth-generation sheep farmer whose family continues to farm land in rural Torrington.<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

“Farmers and their families have faced more than a year of serious stress and anxiety.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been campaigning on this issue since the day it was announced, making it clear to ministers the serious impact it would have on Devon.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot just the farming families themselves but the wider effect on the rural economy and the communities they sustain.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs and Broadband<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

Criticism of the government’s plans led to protests from farmers across the country, including a contingent of farmers, invited by the council to County Hall in December 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“This change today by central government did not happen by accident,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It follows months of determined effort from farmers and supporters across the country- from tractor protests, to petitions, letters and meetings with MPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery voice mattered, and that collective pressure has made a real difference.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Cottle-Hunkin welcomed the concession, calling it a “significant win for farmers and rural communities across Devon\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“While the Liberal Democrats continue to campaign for a total reversal of these inheritance tax changes, this concession is nonetheless welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt provides much-needed reassurance for many as we head towards Christmas, but there is more to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will continue to fight to ensure Devon\u2019s farmers and rural communities are properly heard and supported in the year ahead.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":68188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[22,34,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-economy-and-skills","category-community","category-dcc-homepage"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":68188,"title":"Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-6-1-600x338 (1)","alt":"Councillor Cottle-Hunkin and Councillor Gent stood in front of a large 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