Five factors shaping the future of landed estates: Henry Cecil quoted in Spear’s

Rural Fields and Nature

Henry Cecil and other industry experts have provided their insight on the future of landed estates to Spear’s.

The article, ‘Five factors shaping the future of landed estates’, discusses various challenges and emerging trends in the management and ownership of landed estates. Henry’s key takeaways are summarised below:

Legislative Changes

  • The phasing Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) has previously acted as a safety net for farmers and crofters by supplementing their main business income, but it also presents a challenge for in-hand estates.
  • It could lead to significant opportunities with new streams of income in natural capital markets.

Diversification

  • There is a growth in interest for landowners wanting to enter into natural capital markets, ranging from biodiversity net gain projects to nutrient neutrality and exploring landscape recovery schemes.
  • There has been an expansion in the scope of Agricultural Property Relief which now includes environmental land management schemes. This is a step in the right direction for landed estate owners to have confidence to enter natural capital markets.
  • With diversification on the rise, there are growing opportunities in renewable energy and other emerging markets.

Climate Change

  • There is an increase in flooding in parts of the UK at the moment. While it is area dependent, estates must prepare for changes in response to environmental and climate shifts.

Global Ownership

  • Although British farmers and entrepreneurs make up the majority of buyers and sellers, there has been a recent uptick in interest from American buyers.
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