New Chairman for CLA Cheshire Branch

Ed Barnston has been elected Chairman of the Cheshire branch of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which has been representing landowners, farmers and rural businesses since 1907.

Ed operates Barnston Estate based south of Chester with interests across farming, residential and commercial properties, forestry and renewable energy. A particular interest is building on the estate’s sustainable stewardship and he is now implementing their ten-year natural capital plan.

Speaking about his appointment, Ed said:

“Cheshire farmers and landowners face multiple and concurrent challenges following Brexit and Covid.

“However, there are also opportunities as we transition from the current method of agricultural support to the new Environmental Land Management Schemes, move from fossil fuel to renewable energy, and implement the Government’s Sustainable Farming Initiative by managing land appropriately in the move toward net zero.

“For Cheshire farmers and landowners, a key focus will be to collaborate toward a low carbon economy and still provide high quality, locally produced food.”

Ed is also a Nuffield Farming Scholar, a past winner of the Bledisloe Gold Medal Award Winner for Landowners, and a member of the national CLA Environment Committee. He is also a Governor of the Chester-based Dr. Robert Oldfield Educational Trust.

For more information about the CLA and its work, visit the CLA website and follow @CLAMidlands on Twitter.