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Spring / Summer 2018
Aspects of Land
FOREWORD
S
o far this year, the Government
has published A Green Future:
A 25-year Environment Plan
followed by an Agricultural
Command Paper. These
documents mark a major shift of
emphasis in the way in which subsidies
for the countryside will operate and could
well turn out to be the most important
harbingers of change for the rural sector
that we will see in our lifetimes.
It’s fair to say that very few industries
receive public money any more, and even
if we weren’t leaving the EU, a change is
needed. With the average age of a British
farmer now 59, however good they are at
the job, it’s time that the farming model
was reinvigorated so that it attracts the
next generation of entrepreneurs to take
the industry forward.
These documents see the Government
moving away from tinkering around the
edges, showing instead that it is ready to
fundamentally shake up how rural policy
should operate.
The proposed shift in subsidies, which
will offer greater transparency and a wide
range of public benefits, is absolutely the
right way to go, whether that’s by farming
in a way that benefits the land or by offering
public goods. We need to find ways to
achieve this without undue upheaval
to businesses while at the same time
assessing the value of the benefit to the
public. These are questions that Savills is
working on and it will be responding to
the Government’s current consultation.
My main concern with the Green
Future Plan is that food production itself
seems to be very low down on the agenda.
Food production has to be the principal
land use of the countryside and it needs
to be given more prominence both by
the Government and in the nation’s
conscience.
The UK is the gold standard for food
production, not just at the top end of the
market, but throughout the industry.
There are fantastic examples of
food producers in the UK but there
isn’t the public awareness around
this that there should be. At a time
when Brexit trade negotiations
could unwittingly open the
floodgates to lower standards of
production we need to become
better at championing our successes. Just
look at how David Attenborough’s “Blue
Planet” has raised awareness of the issue
of single-use plastics. How can the rural
sector do the same for the value of food
– and I don’t mean the price. Knowing
where our food comes from and what has
gone into its production is of huge value.
The Sustainable Food Trust recently
calculated that for every £1 that is spent
on food, there is another £1 of hidden
costs. These range from the cost to the
environment to the costs of poor health
such as antibiotic resistance and obesity.
The greater awareness consumers have
about food production, the better placed
they are to decide on what they value.
This issue of
Aspects of Land
looks
at many of the ideas raised in the
Government’s proposals and some
of the ways farmers and landowners
could adapt to and benefit from them.
I hope you enjoy the publication.
Philip Gready
Head of Savills Rural
020 3107 5470,
pgready@savills.comFarming for the future
F
eatures
10
Special report
The Government’s 25-year environment plan
14
Agritech
What will farming in the future look like?
17
Soil health
Five steps to improving your soil quality
18
Community
How to use your land for public good
20
Trees
Good for your land – and British business
24
Energy
Why efficiency is as important as production
Regulars
04
Intelligence
New knowledge from Savills and the rural sector
26
How to diversify
Revesby Estate and its Nuffield learnings
29
Market update
Recent trends and properties for sale
32
Scotland update
The best path for fair rent reviews
34
Final say
Meet Sophie Tidy from Savills Natural Capital Group
32
Savills services
Contact details for Savills rural professionals
Aspects of Land
is published on behalf of
Savills (UK) Ltd by Casella Productions.
All information correct at time of going to
press. All rights reserved. Articles may not
be reproduced without written permission
of Savills (UK) Ltd. While every care is
taken in compiling the content, neither the
publisher nor Savills (UK) Ltd assumes
responsibility for effects arising from
this publication. Investment advice: The
information and opinions contained in this
magazine do not constitute professional
advice and should not be relied upon.
Specific advice relating to your individual
circumstances should be obtained.
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