Farmers across Yorkshire and the North East are being asked to share their experiences of local authority livestock inspections and comment on how these visits duplicate those of national regulators.

The NFU is exploring the extent of inspection overlap as part of a governmental review of red tape enforcement and is organising a range of initiatives to secure the evidence needed to influence policy development.

A telephone survey is planned as well as an online debate via Twitter. Then a series of meetings is being held nationally, the first in York on Thursday 18 September.

The aim of the meeting is to look in depth at what local authorities check during their visits and what paperwork is requested; how they communicate with farmers and what other inspections farmers are subjected to.

“To get the most from this process, we need to involve dairy, beef and sheep farmers who have had a local authority inspection or been in communication with their local authority during the past five years,” said NFU regional director Richard Pearson.

“We would also like to hear from any livestock farmers concerned about the frequency of inspections they face, the duplication that occurs as a result and the impact this has on their business.

“We do need to know beforehand who will be attending, so anyone interested in taking part is asked to contact us to register their interest.”

The meeting will be held at the NFU’s North East regional office in York on Thursday 18 September from 11am to 1.00pm, with lunch included.

Anyone interested in taking part is asked to book a place by calling 01904 451550.