spring / summer 2017 |
aspects of land
|
5
NEWS AND VIEWS
KEY STORIES FROM THE RURAL SECTOR
ROW FOR LIFE
I
n January, Harry
Wentworth-Stanley of
Savills London arrived in
English Harbour, Antigua with
his team, Row for James, after
an epic 39 days of rowing across
the Atlantic.
The team of close friends,
Rory Buchanan, Sam Greenly,
Toby Fenwicke-Clennell and
Harry took second place in the
3,000 mile Talisker Whisky
Atlantic Challenge.
Even more outstanding is
that in completing the race,
Row for James raised £590,000
for the James Wentworth-
Stanley Memorial Fund
( JWSMF).
James was Harry’s older
brother who tragically took his
own life 10 years ago, at the
age of 21.
The fund was set up by Harry
and James’ parents to tackle the
shocking statistic that suicide
is the largest cause of death
among young men in the UK.
The money that Harry and
his friends have raised will
establish a non-clinical crisis
centre in Liverpool – to be
known as James’ Place – where
people experiencing emotional
or suicidal crises can go for help.
n
To find out more or donate
to Row for James, visit
rowforjames.comAVIAN FLU AND THE
SPORTING MARKET
T
he virulent H5N8
strain of avian flu is
continuing to affect
wild and reared birds in the
UK. “It’s not widespread
enough to be affecting sporting
bookings yet, but it is still of
great concern to the shooting
community,” says David Steel
of Savills Sporting.
An outbreak in Lancashire in
January affected a major game
farm and a large number of
birds had to be culled.
“With the possibility of
more outbreaks to come, the
cost of eggs, chicks and poults
has already started to rise,” says
David. “If the situation gets
worse it is bound to cause a rise
in shooting prices for the
2017-18 season.”
He advises shoot managers
to keep a close eye on any
developments in their local area
and to have contingency plans
in place for different scenarios.
“I’d also advise shoot
managers to have more than
one source for their poults and
chicks in case their usual game
farm faces a cull and to put a
deposit on an order now. Better
still if you have the facilities to
rear birds yourself, shoots could
look at doing that.”
n
David Steel, Clitheroe, 01200
411 051,
dsteel@savills.comOVERLAND FROM
EAST TO WEST
In January, the first UK-China
freight train successfully
arrived in London carrying
textiles and other consumer
goods. The 7,500 mile journey
took 18 days – about half the
time of sea transport and
cost about half the price of air
freight. The service, managed
in the UK by OneTwoThree
Logistics, will run once a week
for a trial period.
SAVILLS SPONSORS
HERITAGE AWARD
The winners of the Hudson
Heritage Awards 2017 were
announced in March.
Holkham Hall in Norfolk
won the Best Family Day Out
award, while Durham Castle in
County Durham won the Best
Innovation award which was
sponsored by Savills.
The awards recognise the
visitor experience at heritage
sites around the country.
This year’s judging panel
included Simon Foster of
Savills Commercial Heritage
Consultancy.
n
Simon Foster, Cheltenham,
01242 548 006,
sfoster@savills.comPUTTING A VALUE ON
THE ENVIRONMENT
In January the government’s
Natural Capital Committee
produced a report calling for a
25-year Environment Plan (YEP)
that would place natural capital
at the heart of decision making.
Natural capital is a way of
assigning value to the goods
and services that natural
resources, such as habitats and
rivers can provide.
The report has since been
mentioned in the Housing White
Paper and could open up a new
way for governments to handle
environmental issues.
n
Rob Asquith, Wimborne, 01202
856 951,
rasquith@savills.comn
Charlie Russ, Wimborne, 07976
355 830,
cruss@savills.comHarry (left) and the team celebrate arriving in Antigua
IN BRIEF
BEN DUFFY PHOTOGRAPHER AND TALISKER WHISKY ATLANTIC CHALLENGE
Avian flu could affect chick farms