Your Somerset county NFU update

We welcome this week’s announcement by Emma Hardy at the Flood and Coast 2026 Conference confirming a £50 million investment to help protect Somerset’s homes and farms from flooding.

This commitment and funding are a positive step, and it is encouraging to see the recognition of the ongoing impact repeated flooding has on farming businesses, including the serious impacts it has on farm business viability.  We are now working with the relevant bodies to facilitate ongoing conversations on how this money can be invested to best support our members businesses and protect rural communities. 

As part of the NFU Member Develops programme, I was delighted to have been asked to spend the day in Westminster with the rest of the programme’s southern cohort back in April.

The itinerary saw us visit the Houses of Parliament in the morning, followed by a fantastic session with Scott Pepe, Head of External Affairs which delved into the plethora of work the NFU Westminster office delivers for members, from lobbying on key policies to championing the interests of British farming via other means such as the NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship Scheme.

The scheme invites newly elected MPs to partake in a programme of events spanning 12-months, with the aim of not only providing politicians with first-hand experience of the entire food supply chain but in turn creating a new group of British farming champions who will be the voice of farming members within their respective constituencies.

Later in the afternoon, members of the NFU South team took the group through strategies for lobbying at a local level, providing us with the necessary resources to ensure successful future engagement with our own MPs, which is where as members we can all make a difference by inviting local politicians out on farm.

As is the nature of agricultural business, each of us faces different challenges and opportunities alike day-to-day and communicating these to those who represent our constituencies is imperative to support the work of our membership organisation.

Gabby Emery, NFU Somerset Livestock Representative

Avon & Somerset Police are moving the Farm and Horse watch alerts to a new system. If you were previously registered to receive this or would like to receive the alerts, then you need to register your details. 

Somerset Council has published its Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). The LNRS sets out long term priorities for nature recovery, identifying where action is most needed and where it will have the biggest impact. It aims to help guide decisions and investment made by land managers, planners, developers, environmental organisations and communities.

What is included?

• Biodiversity Priorities
• Local Habitat Map

By targeting investment where it delivers the greatest benefits, the LNRS aims to support natural flood management, climate resilience and healthier ecosystems.

Next Steps

The Council will work with partners through delivery groups, local networks and land management clusters. Annual updates will track progress and highlight new opportunities for collaboration. Please do visit their website to look at the strategy and the habitat map which you can explore to look at your specific land or areas of interest to you. There is also some specific farmer guidance, please see below. Any issues please get in touch.