A FARMER'S son from south Worcestershire has been appointed to one of the UK's major agricultural bodies.

Rural practice surveyor Charles Daniell, who works from the family farm just outside Upton-upon-Severn, is a new member of the Independent Agricultural Appeals Panel. The government appointed panel operates nationally and considers appeals against decisions made by the Rural Payments Agency and Natural England. These two agencies are responsible for the majority of subsidy and funding paid to farmers, businesses and land managers in rural England.

Mr Daniell has been a rural surveyor and agricultural valuer for 10 years and has developed a specialism for advising other farmers on rural subsidy and grant schemes. He was selected due to his farming background and experience dealing with various subsidy schemes. The panel is completely independent of the Rural Payments Agency or Natural England and is the last stage of appeal before decisions go to the Farming Minister.

Mr Daniell said: "It’s a real honour to have been appointed, as this panel is a specialist body and our recommendations go straight to the Farming Minister, who has the final say. We get to hear from both sides and our role is to take on board their views, via reports and a formal hearing, consider it all against the rules of the various schemes, before making a recommendation to the Farming Minister. I’ve built up a lot of experience advising farmers and landowners on these schemes over recent years, so it will be interesting to be able to help adjudicate on cases where the payment agencies and applicants can’t agree. I will still be running my own business but will be invited to attend hearings as and when they arise. Not only is it a good opportunity to be able to champion the farmers cause, but it should also help me to get an even more detailed understanding of the rules and regulations of the new schemes, which should also help my own clients."