Citation, extent and application

1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Agriculture Act 2020 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provision) (England) Regulations 2021.

(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales and apply in relation to England only.

Commencement of the Agriculture Act 2020

2. The following provisions of the Agriculture Act 2020 (“the 2020 Act”) come into force on 1st September 2024—

(a) paragraphs 10 to 16 of Schedule 3 (succession on death or retirement: condition relating to occupation of a commercial unit),

(b) paragraph 18 of Schedule 3 (succession on death or retirement: condition relating to suitability), and

(c) section 36, so far as it relates to the paragraphs referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b).

Transitional Provision

3. —(1) Paragraph (2) applies to any application to the Tribunal made under Part 4 of the 1986 Act for a direction entitling the applicant to a tenancy of an agricultural holding on the death or retirement of a tenant where the date of death or the date of the giving of the retirement notice, as applicable, was before 1st September 2024.

(2) In relation to any application to which this paragraph applies, Part 4 of the 1986 Act continues to apply on and after 1st September 2024 as it had effect immediately before that date, as if the amendments made by paragraphs 10 to 16 and 18 of Schedule 3 to the 2020 Act had not come into force.

(3) In this regulation—

“the 1986 Act” means the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986( 2 );

“application” includes any proceedings arising out of any such application or any direction given in any such proceedings.

(4) Expressions used in this regulation and in Part 4 of the 1986 Act have the same meaning as in that Part.