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The leader of West Sussex County Council has backed farmers fighting against "devastating" tax changes. Councillor Paul Marshall visited a dairy farm near Arundel to reiterate the council's support for the county's farmers and growers as they continue to campaign against government plans to reform the Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief from April 2026. Changes would mean farm businesses will need to pay an inheritance tax rate of 20 per cent on agricultural assets valued over £1 million and passed on to family members.
The visit comes after Cllr Marshall wrote to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed in December, urging for the planned changes to inheritance tax to be scrapped. West Sussex County Council leader Paul Marshall receiving letters from children asking for their futures to be not taken away from them, at the recent NMFUY Farming Day of Unity at Worthing Pier (Image: Diensen Pamben/NFU) Cllr Marshall said: "West Sussex County Council stands in support of our farmers in their disapproval of the government's inheritance tax plans. "I have spoken with many farmers in Sussex and heard their stories of how this could be devastating for our rural communities and see farms held by generations lost because of this tax.
"We will continue to challenge the government on this proposal and back our farmers in their continued fight." At the meeting, Cllr Marshall discussed the campaign and other key farming issues with NFU West Sussex vice-chairman Frans de Boer, NFU West Sussex council representative Caroline Harriott and apprentice farmer Oscar Smith. He was joined by West Sussex County Council deputy leader Deborah Urquhart and county councillor for Pulborough Charlotte Kenyon, who put forward the motion which led to the council writing to Defra.
Cllr Marshall also attended the recent NFU Farming Day of Unity event at Worthing Pier. The NFU's Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign is calling on the government to reconsider its planned changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief. The NFU and other organisations met with the Treasury this week to seek solutions.
The NFU says the government is working off the wrong figures and has miscalculated the impact of the changes, with concerns they could force many small and medium-sized family farms out of business. All the UK's major supermarkets have publicly stated their concerns over the threat to national food security..
