A threatened legal challenge co-ordinated by the NFU, which asserted that ministers had acted illegally in suddenly closing the 2024 SFI scheme without notice in March, has forced the government to rethink.
The NFU coordinated and fully funded the proposed legal action, through a group of NFU members, arguing Defra had not given the proper notice period of any closure it had promised to farmers applying for the scheme, meaning thousands were left marooned with half completed applications, some suffering financially having invested ahead of starting the SFI. The NFU also said that more than 6,000 farmers had started SFI applications when the scheme was suddenly scrapped, and that their cases should be processed.
On Friday last week lawyers for the government said that The Secretary of State for Defra “is retaking the decision to close the SFI Scheme 2024 without notice”, and today Defra has told its stakeholders to await an update relating to those farmers, alongside a promise to launch a new SFI scheme.
NFU President Trom Bradshaw said: “We said from day one that this sudden closure, with just minutes’ notice, was wholly unacceptable and always wrong.
“The NFU was determined to use its expertise to challenge this devastating decision, and I would like to thank those members and staff who led this work”.
