Your Devon county NFU update

The EA carried out 485 inspections across Devon and Cornwall in 2025/2026, the most frequently observed non-compliances were:

1. Slurry stores
2. Silage clamps
3. Clean and dirty water separation
4. Nutrient Management Plans
5. Soil testing

However, the EA can be most concerned about high-risk non-compliances. These pose the greatest environmental risk and can have serious and immediate impacts on water quality, localised flooding and wider environmental harm. These are:

• High-risk cropping practices - (e.g. maize, potatoes, and bulbs) grown on vulnerable soils or high-risk sites, leading to soil erosion, runoff and pollution incidents during heavy rainfall.
• Overtopping or structurally compromised slurry stores - particularly older infrastructure with insufficient storage capacity or increased risk of failure.
• Silage effluent escaping containment - which can cause significant and immediate pollution of watercourses.
• Poor separation of clean and dirty water - resulting in contaminated runoff entering drainage systems or the wider environment.

You can contact your local Catchment Sensitive Farming officer who work with farmers to provide free advice. Although there may not be availability for the Catchment Sensitive Farming officer to visit ahead of the inspection, you will be able to demonstrate that you have engaged with them, and a visit is planned.

You can read more about what to inspect from an inspection: EA inspections – what to expect when your farm is being inspected – NFUonline

In May, Devon County Council published a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), a spatial strategy which plans, maps, and create priorities for nature across Devon. The principal aim of the LNRS is to target space for the delivery of BNG (Biodiversity Net Gain), or habitat creation through other public and private funding. 

If an area has been identified for nature in a LNRS, it could affect how BNG units are calculated in the Biodiversity Metric. This will impact those thinking of creating BNG units for the market but also those planning a development which could be impacted by BNG.

The LNRS will also help contribute to delivering national environmental targets on water and air quality, biodiversity, and trees, as confirmed in the revised Environmental Improvement Plan.

Now published, the responsible authority will facilitate the delivery of the LNRS through four main functions:

• leading the delivery partnership
• embedding into local decision making
• facilitating projects that contribute to delivery,
• tracking, and reporting to Defra.

You can see the strategy at https://www.naturerecoverydevon.org.uk or read more about Local Nature Recovery Strategies here. 

We’d like to share a new briefing from The Wildlife Trusts that members may find useful, particularly those farming alongside beavers.

The document focuses on how farmers can prepare for beaver presence, with practical guidance and considerations to support planning and decision making.

If this is relevant, you can access the briefing below