England appoints first Tenant Farming Commissioner

The UK government has appointed Alan Laidlaw as England’s first Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector.

• Appointment details: Alan Laidlaw, an experienced CEO with over 25 years’ experience in agriculture and land management, will act as an impartial point of contact for tenants, landlords and advisors; his responsibilities include investigating complaints, tracking trends, offering guidance, and reporting regularly. He will promote the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice and work closely with Defra and the Farm Tenancy Forum to support the sector that manages around one-third of England’s farmland.
• Background and context: Alan previously served on the senior management team at The Crown Estate, where he managed a 250,000-acre UK-wide rural portfolio and introduced innovative tenancy agreements and co-investment models to deliver sustainable revenue growth for tenants and landowners; the appointment is stated to deliver on government commitments under the Plan for Change, and has been welcomed by the Tenant Farmers Association.