9165 - BM Outlook 2022 R6 - Flipbook - Page 2
With change
comes opportunity
Contents
Batcheller
Monkhouse
1
With change comes
opportunity
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has added
another layer of complexity to already
challenging times, but there are still
opportunities for the taking, as Leo
Hickish outlines.
Agriculture
2
Farming and the race for
net zero
The new focus on the environment
rather than on growing food and rearing
livestock could see tenant farmers
squeezed out of agriculture, as David
Blake and Helen Clouting explain.
5
Farmers face a brave
new world
Diversification is no longer enough
as farmers face a ‘sea change’ in the
way they operate. But as Charlotte
Pearson-Wood points out, there are new
opportunities for those who look ahead.
Estate
Management
8
Keep your eye on the ball
Refocus your business to meet 21st
century challenges and build ‘social
capital’ with local people while exploiting
new income streams, writes AlexWilks.
10
Time to renew your woodland
strategy?
Edward Cheevers urges woodland
owners to take advantage of the
opportunities on offer as the price of
timber continues to rise.
| Outlook
13
Judicial review could be a
30Standing up to mobile phone
Harry Broadbent-Combe looks at the
impact of the Sawkill V Highways
England court case on the ability of
permitted authorities to enter land
ahead of a Development Consent
Order application without seeking
authorisation.
Rob Hepworth sheds light on the complex
battleground of tribunal decisions, court
cases, appeals and new legislation that
has pitted landowners against telecoms
operators.
Planning &
Development
32An introduction to modern
‘saw’ point
16
Plans of inaction
Uncertainty and complexity in the
planning process means landowners
need to take professional advice before
seeking planning approval for new
homes, explains Kirsty Castle.
19
Getting plans off the ground
Christine Dadswell explains how an
innovative approach to meeting new
challenges such as water neutrality
legislation is helping to plot a way through
the planning maze.
22Bumps in the road
Finding the right location for new homes
is only part of the story when agencies
fail to keep pace with demand by
providing the right road infrastructure,
points out Hannah McLaughlin.
24Boom time for
development land
While strong demand for land continues,
selling land for building is not for the
faint-hearted. Oliver Robinson looks at the
options and provides some case studies.
Telecoms
27Reception committee Q&A
Robin Whatley provides a simple question
and answer guide for landowners when
the Man from the Telecoms Company
comes calling.
operators
Sales & Lettings
estate agency
Traditional values combined with a
modern approach is winning over new
clients and attracting a strong portfolio
of would-be buyers, writes Wendy Stirk.
Looking back over past editions
of Outlook, it quickly becomes
clear that we live in a time of great
change and challenge. Alongside
the ongoing need to mitigate the
impacts of climate change and
deal with the challenges of Brexit,
we are this year faced with the
tragic situation in Ukraine and its
enormous potential consequences.
34The lay of the land
An acute shortage of land across the
South East is seeing farmland prices
remain high, bolstered by the fact that
land is seen as “a hedge against whatever
the future may hold”, as Russell Parkes
explains.
36Building relationships is key
for New Homes team
Covid-19 saw many people ask
themselves if they loved where they lived
– and some of them decided to move as
a consequence. Kim Abbott outlines the
work of the New Homes team.
38Making the most of high
demand for rentals
Look beyond the cash returns and
make sure you choose the right tenants
when letting out property, advises Clare
Sheffield.
40Testimonials and contact
details
There is still uncertainty over quite how
big an impact the war in Ukraine will have
on stability in the rest of Europe, but its
effect on the production of staples such
as wheat, oilseed rape and sunflower oil is
already being felt.
And while the war’s impact on our own
lives is nothing compared to its effect
on the people of Ukraine, we have to
acknowledge that it will have significant
ramifications on our livelihoods,
businesses and society in general.
For the first time in 40 years, there is a
real threat of inflation going above 10%,
reflected particularly in food prices and
the cost of labour. Scarcity of both is a real
issue, but to date there is very little about
the importance of food security in UK
policy or any sign of a change to the rules
around visas for overseas workers.
While it would be easy to look at global
problems and become despondent,
history has shown repeatedly that with
change comes opportunity. We firmly
believe that UK farming can provide both
food security and the environmental and
social benefits society wants, but we need
government to play its part.
The price of energy is another concern, but
one that could arguably be mitigated by
sensible investment. The good news is that
the UK is far less dependent on Russia for
oil and gas than most European countries,
not least because almost half our energy
is secured via renewables, a trend
reflected in the fact that demand for new
solar and battery storage sites is soaring.
What is frustrating, however, is that
schemes that would further reduce our
demand on fossil fuels are unable to
proceed because of the inadequacy of
our ageing power distribution networks.
We need proper investment by the power
companies, but in the meantime there
is much more we can do in terms of
energy efficiency and investment in
improved technology.
We are also having to learn a new
vocabulary. We live in a time of carbon
sequestration, environmental off-setting,
nitrate neutrality, environmental net gain,
delinked payments, water catchment
management and rewilding. Not only are
these comparatively recent concepts
but, in many cases, new opportunities to
understand and get to grips with.
It is early days, but knowing how these
measures might affect your property or
business is essential. The first step when
considering opportunities such as carbon
sequestration is to benchmark your data,
but remember also to consider whether or
not you might need these valuable assets
yourself before doing deals with third parties.
Start thinking about such things now,
though. The markets are starting to warm
up and, as with most innovations, the first
Leo Hickish
Chairman & Partner
to respond is likely to be best placed to
capitalise on the opportunity.
Change is bringing other opportunities
in areas such as environmental net gain,
where landowners can be paid to improve
their own land to offset the assumed ‘harm’
done by housing developments elsewhere,
and in the increasingly important areas
of nitrate and water neutrality. Having
a developer pay for a water-saving
scheme on-farm in order that their own
development can go-ahead on another
site is a real win-win scenario and another
example of how farmers can play their part
in achieving environmental balance.
The property market continues to flourish
across all sectors. In part this is down to
a shortage of supply, but rural migration,
first seen as Covid-19 struck, remains real.
We expect to see this direction of travel
maintained, not least given the cost of
travel and the fact that many have learnt
how to work effectively either at home or
from a local business hub.
There is high demand, too, for rental
properties, and while achieving the right
environmental performance certificate
level can mean taking professional advice,
the returns on well-maintained and
managed properties can be significant.
The opportunities are there, as outlined
in this year’s Outlook. Just look beyond
the challenges.
Batcheller Monkhouse | 1