To receive an update.

Geoffrey Copas gave a verbal update. He started off by stating that the reason for the existence of the Rural Forum was because roughly 82% of Borough was countryside. Being the managers and owners of countryside, who had little representation on the Council, the farming community needed to be given the opportunity to express their views and interests to councillors and local people who have an interest in the countryside. According to Geoffrey Copas, both had little rural knowledge to make better informed decisions on the countryside and to be fully aware of the impact of their decisions on the future of the countryside. He reminded the panel that it was farmers who created the countryside by clearing forests as well as utilised it to produce food. The farmers were successful in creating and maintaining the countryside that urban dwellers designated it as a greenbelt.

Geoffrey Copas stated farmers did not want the whole countryside to be developed because they wish to farm it to produce food as long as their farming business remained viable and sustainable. He expressed concern of a vocal minority who wished to “preserve every inch” of the greenbelt. He argued that the countryside had always changed to meet societal needs, which had increased, and then conveyed some examples to support this statement.

Geoffrey Copas acknowledged that more land was needed to meet societal needs – housing, employment, sport and transport – and major decisions would be made which would not satisfy everyone but were nevertheless accepted as the will of a democratic-majority. With that said, he expressed concern that single-issue actions groups cherry-pick facts and information to justify their cause and ignore the side effects. He also expressed concern of these action groups using modern communications and technology to influence decision makers, which could lead to governance by minority and “lynch mob decisions”.

Geoffrey Copas rhetorically asked if local councils wanted farming to remain in the main use of the greenbelt countryside, citing that there was currently one dairy farm (owned by the Crown Estate) compared to 30 dairy farms in his youth. While Geoffrey Copas believed there was a desire for farming to remain, he stated it was important for local councils to make this loud and clear.

Geoffrey Copas also added that for farms to continue, farmers had to be viable and sustainable, which was easier in areas of countryside where it was not designated as greenbelt as the interests of national parks, second homeowners and single-issue action groups was what prevented changes in greenbelt. He also mentioned that Brexit, the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine had created changes which affected farmers.

Geoffrey Copas asserted that the question that needed to be considered was not only how the greenbelt was contained but who was going to do this, where was this person going to live, who was going to pay for it, and what was the greenbelt going to be used for. Based on this, he argued that the Rural Forum should be used as a way to improve decisions on the future on the greenbelt countryside.

Geoffrey Copas stated that it was important that meetings do not use individual people’s particular problems or cases as well as certain principles which he believed should not be considered, conveying a few case examples to support his argument.

Geoffrey Copas wondered whether the planning decision process needed to be reviewed. He cited that a reason why farmers’ planning applications were turned down was because of a lack of an ecological report provided by the farmer. He also cited a case of a farmer whose planning application was unanimously turned down despite providing a planning application.

Alongside the changing farming scene, Geoffrey Copas alongside Nick Philp, stated there was a rise in costs for resources which farmers used, such as fuel and fertiliser. He also added that the value in food which farmers produced had increased, such as wheat and barley, which was good news for farmers’ profitability.

While not a large concern in RBWM, Geoffrey Copas raised the issue of the pig industry whereby a pig loses 30% of its value for every pig that killed, resulting in farmers losing money when selling pigs. He also added that 40,000 pigs had been killed and disposed because too many pigs were on farms and a lack of demand. Geoffrey Copas also mentioned that TB (Bovine Tuberculosis) amongst cattle was rapidly spreading and was nearly on the Borough boundary.

Geoffrey Copas also raised awareness that Widbrook Common, a recreation area where wildflowers grew and blossomed, had not been grazed for the first time, which had the potential to destroy the wildflowers.

Geoffrey Copas stated that it was challenging time for farmers who had to spend most of their time trying to remain viable and sustainable following the loss of £80 per acre, and therefore had little time to justify their existence in their area, surrounded and controlled by non-farmers who want cheap food.

Geoffrey Copas hoped the Rural Forum meetings would continue but made a couple of suggestions. Firstly, he suggested that the agendas should be planned prior to the next meeting. Secondly, for the rural walk in June, he proposed a tour of the greenbelt countryside, visiting his family farm sites and land, and then visit Battlemead Common.

Geoffrey Copas rhetorically asked if the Council was going to take on responsibility of maintaining more of the greenbelt countryside in the future, reiterating that the countryside had always been maintained by farmers.

(Councillor Johnson entered the meeting as a guest)

Geoffrey Copas said it was important that more Councillors were more aware of the concerns and interests of farmers. If more Councillors were unable to attend the Rural Forum meetings, he suggested that the points that were raised should be circulated amongst Councillors to raise awareness of concerns from the farming community.

Geoffrey Copas proposed to invite every Councillor and their partners to the rural walk in June and proposed a date of 28th June.

Councillor Hunt asked the farmers in the Forum meeting if they believed Geoffrey Copas made pertinent points on the concerns of the farming community. Nick Philp confirmed this. Councillor Hunt then reassured the Council were supportive of the greenbelt and farmers.

ACTION: Geoffrey Copas to send a copy of his farming community update to David Scott, who would then circulate this to Councillors.

The Co-Chair Councillor Bateson asked if the rural walks (which were usually scheduled in June) could take place before autumn, such as in September, when it was election year as the elections meant there would be a change in Councillors and therefore a change in committee and forum members. Geoffrey Copas replied that June was the best time as it fits in the farmers’ schedule as well as the fact it takes place after elections in May.

Councillor Coppinger asked if Geoffrey Copas could inform him further on the latter’s thoughts on open spaces going forward, potentially through a meeting video. Geoffrey Copas was willing to do this.

Councillor Rayner agreed with Geoffrey Copas to discuss the agenda items before the meetings.

Alan Keene requested that the date for the rural walk not be set-in-stone as it came close to clashing with a Royal East Berkshire Agricultural Association (REBAA) event. He also added that REBAA fully supported the rural walk and was happy to contribute to the costs. The Co-Chair Councillor Bateson was fine with this.

After the Co-Chair Councillor Bateson mentioned that many Parish Councillors attended the last farm walk, Geoffrey Copas said he would invite Parish Councillors to the upcoming farm walk in June 2022 and hoped to make this standard procedure.

Alan Keene asked the Forum if it was really a good balance if there were more farmers than Councillors as there had been in the last couple of rural walks, stating that the rural visits were for Councillors’ benefit of experiencing the farms and countryside. The Co-Chair replied that this had to be decided amongst the farmers.

David Scott advised that if the Forum wished to have as many Councillors and farmers as possible attend the farm walk, then it had to be scheduled either during the meeting or in the immediate future.

ACTION: Schedule a date for the annual rural farm walk in June and invite all Borough Councillors and Parish Councillors to attend.