Authorities with the right to exercise compulsory purchase powers have been accused of being 'unreasonable' and 'unethical' toward tenant farmers.
The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has slammed acquiring authorities in their treatment of the occupiers of the land they require access to for various projects.
The industry body said there had been 'increasing reports of bullying tactics across the board'.
Be it for high-speed rail, solar energy farms or cabling to support offshore wind farms, land required by acquiring authorities varies.
Government guidance relating to the procedures for the compulsory acquisition of land states that authorities ‘should seek to acquire land by negotiation wherever practicable’.
However, some acquiring authorities appeared to be ignoring this guidance completely, the TFA warned.
The group's senior adviser, Caroline Foot said that TFA members across the country were experiencing this poor practice first-hand.
"While the importance of some of these projects is acknowledged, their implementation should not be allowed to be at the expense of Britain’s farmers," she said.
The law allows for owners and occupiers to be treated and compensated fairly, but the TFA said that procedures in place to raise legitimate concerns were 'expensive' and 'time-consuming'.
It said some land owners and occupiers were 'reluctant' to use these procedures, in turn enabling authorities to 'press on regardless of the devastating impact their schemes can have'.
“It makes a mockery of the system for acquiring authorities to be able to rely on not being taken to task for their unreasonable behaviour," Ms Foot explained.
"It shows that something is broken if the procedures are in place, but they are not being used; not because they are not required, but because they are not fit for purpose."
The TFA has called for the dispute resolution procedures to be reassessed so that they could be used effectively where necessary.
Ms Foot added: “Something must change so that owners and occupiers are treated fairly and in accordance with the law and guidance in this area.
"The time, hassle and cost involved with raising a legitimate dispute should not allow acquiring authorities to bully their way through the process."
