Yachting and Boating World forums: My nwe buisiness

Whoops, I think you might be getting a few facts wrong here!

I had a sheep farm in the mountains of central mid Wales and often did sillage contracting with my tractor.

A farmer can use his Land Rover ON the public highway using red diesel as long as it is solely for farm use. This means towing a trailer full of sheep to the abattoirs, going to get feed, moving from field to field in the course of farming, mending fences etc.

If he goes to town for a drink at the pub in the evening or goes for a weekend away visiting relatives or uses it to go to the cinema, then this is clearly not farm use and he/she can be prosecuted. This (the prosecution) very rarely happens.

The 6km clause refers to whether a tractor needs to be taxed for use on the public highway and is nothing to do with red diesel. Mine was taxed, £9 if I remember correctly in the 1980's, as I travelled far and wide contracting.

If your tractor just 'crosses' a public highway to get from one field to the next then it obviously does not travel further than 6km and does not require a road fund licence (tax disc) BUT it needs to be fully insured!

So, if you use your vehicle for social use then duty need to be paid. My Land Rover was a Series III LWB Safari petrol.

EDIT: Agricultural Shows and shopping for food for the family are deemed to be not farm use and therefore illegal if using red. If you are displaying at an Ag show, you have an arguable case for allowing the use of farm vehicles using red.

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regards David

"Away Sea-boats crew - Special Sea Dutymen, Close-up"

Skype: lenseman-uk

Edited by lenseman (31/05/2008 01:21)