Issue - meetings

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor John Pughe Roberts will propose as follows:-

Changes by the Westminster Labour Government to agricultural inheritance tax have transformed Agricultural Property Relief (APR) so that all farms worth over a million pounds now have to pay inheritance tax.

The industry is under severe pressure and hedge fund managers are seeking the carbon trade off through a system of re-wilding and tree planting thus raising the value of agricultural land. This means that 100 acres of land that reaches the threshold or a farmhouse and self-catering cottage are worth over a million pounds.

This means that most farms in Gwynedd and Wales will have to pay huge amounts of tax with some going bankrupt or having to sell land which would render the farms unable to continue to farm.

I therefore call on Cyngor Gwynedd to ask the Welsh Government to reconsider their support for the Labour Party in Westminster and that the Welsh Government calls on the Westminster Government to reinstate the Agricultural Property Relief.

That Cyngor Gwynedd asks the Welsh Government to reconsider their support for the Labour Party in Westminster and that the Welsh Government calls on the Westminster Government to re-establish the Agricultural Property Relief.

Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor John Pughe Roberts under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was seconded: -

That Cyngor Gwynedd asks the Welsh Government to reconsider their support for the Labour Party in Westminster and that the Welsh Government calls on the Westminster Government to re-establish the Agricultural Property Relief.

The member set out the context to his motion, and noted: -

·         That changes by the Westminster Labour Government on agricultural inheritance tax have transformed Agricultural Property Support (APR) so that all farms worth over a million pounds now have to pay inheritance tax. ⁠

·         With the industry under severe pressure and hedge fund managers looking for carbon offsets through a system of re-wilding and planting trees and therefore raising the value of agricultural land, 100 acres of land reaching the threshold or a self-provisioning farmhouse and cottage worth over a million pounds.

·         This meant that the majority of Gwynedd and Wales farms will have to pay huge amounts of tax with some going bankrupt or having to sell land which would leave the farms unable to continue to farm.

The motion was supported based on concern about the future of farming in Wales and concern that large companies will come together and buy these farms.

RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely: -

That Cyngor Gwynedd asks the Welsh Government to reconsider their support for the Labour Party in Westminster and that the Welsh Government calls on the Westminster Government to re-establish the Agricultural Property Relief.