
News

Estate Matters Episode 11: Lord Charlie Courtenay | The 19th Earl of Devon on the modern management of Powderham Castle Estate
Charlie Courtenay, barrister, parliamentarian and proprietor of the 3,500-acre Powderham Castle Estate in Devon, says he sees the business as an 800-year-old start up social enterprise with the potential for long-term sustainable growth.

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NIMBY’s holding back rural communities, survey finds
A survey of more than 1,000 people living in rural England and Wales has found that a lack of affordable homes in the countryside is the most pressing issue facing their communities.

Estate Matters Ep10: David Cope, Founder of 600 Strategy - Landed Estates: Heroes in the battle against climate change
Rural Estates can be ‘heroes’ in helping to reduce the impact of climate change – but they need to talk about what they are doing and engage with their communities.

Budget Analysis - What does it mean for rural business? - Philip Bowern
The scrapping of tax relief worth an estimated £300m a year to holiday homeowners who let their properties and the extension of Agricultural Property Relief (APR) to cover environmental projects are two announcements in the Spring Budget that will impact on rural businesses.

Do we really need more rights to roam in the countryside?
A planned mass trespass on a Dartmoor Tor by Right to Roam protesters was called off last month (February) because of bad weather. Campaign group leaders took the sensible decision to cancel because of the risk of damaging the land in boggy conditions – and the potential threat to protesters scaling a Dartmoor Tor in a storm.

Digging in on the housing crisis
Unveiling a new policy that they promise will “turbocharge” building homes on brownfield sites, the Government has announced a major shake-up of planning rules to, they insist, “boost housebuilding while protecting the Green Belt.”

Estate Matters Episode 9: George Eustice - Insights from a former Environment Minister on politics and land management
The MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, who spent nine years as a Minister at Defra, rising to become Secretary of State in 2020, makes the prediction in a remarkably frank conversation with KOR Communications’ podcast host Anna Byles in the latest episode of Estate Matters.

Turning a crisis into a drama - Post Office drama shows power of story telling.
Telling stories is one of the oldest forms of human communication. From earliest times, when tales were told around the fire blazing at the entrance to the cave, to today’s Hollywood blockbusters and social media reels, stories that grab the imagination and touch us, emotionally, can have the most powerful and profound impact.

Estate Matters Episode 8: Athwenna Irons, Western Morning News | The benefits of achieving coverage in traditional print media
Regional newspaper farming editor Athwenna Irons describes the challenges for agriculture as the countryside undergoes major change, in the latest episode of Estate Matters.

What will 2024 have in store for the rural economy and landed estates?
The rural economy beats to a different drum. Political squabbling, generated in the Westminster bubble and hotly debated inside the M25, doesn’t mean a lot in the countryside, where farmers and land managers operate in tune with the weather and the seasons.

Report calls for new approach to managing protected sites on Dartmoor.
When farmers and commoners gathered for a meeting on Dartmoor in September, to discuss new restrictions on livestock levels, the overriding emotions in the room were anger and bewilderment.

Estate Matters Episode 7: Steve Strang, Exeter College - The crucial role of communication in urban education masterplanning
The challenge of meeting the development needs of a college of further education is the subject of our new Estate Matters podcast, featuring the Executive Director of Estates and Sustainability at Exeter College, Steve Strang.

Philip Bowern Column: Who cares about the countryside?
Rural affairs, including looking after the environment, mitigating climate change and producing the food we all rely on, is central to the health of the nation. In this opinion piece, first published in the Western Morning News, writer Philip Bowern is concerned that countryside issues do not get the priority treatment from Government that they deserve.

The countryside is a great place to do business – Let’s keep it that way!
The importance of communicating the value of rural business was a key theme of this year’s CLA Business Conference, at a time of unprecedented change in the countryside.

The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement – what’s in it for developers, builders and landowners?
Jeremy Hunt sought to boost business investment and support those who work hard in his Autumn Statement yesterday. Housebuilders and landowners were hoping for concrete policies to lift the sector. They were offered a few headline pledges, but it’ll take time to find out if they work.

Estate Matters Episode 5: Nicola Janus-Harris - Why reputation management is essential for rural estates
Nicola, Head of Agriculture and Rural Estates at Trowers & Hamlins, tells podcast host Anna Byles that there is still a lack of understanding by the public about the work of farmers and estate owners. But she says those who make the effort to improve their communications can reap the rewards.

The first Kings’ speech for Charles sets scene for coming election.
King Charles’ first speech as monarch at the opening of Parliament had at least as much significance as a historical event, as it did a political one.

Landowners have a big part to play in meeting green energy needs.
The way we use the land is changing and many landowners, including the owners and managers of large rural estates, are providing the sites to help society adapt to new challenges.
From developments in agriculture, to the provision of residential and commercial premises, the role of landowners in matching their sustainable business models to the demands of a changing world are well-documented.

What Labour's plan to build would mean for landowners & developers
Many developers will welcome a government, irrespective of its political make-up, that brings some clarity to the issue of house-building. Significant challenges remain, not least the need for landowners and developers to see a meaningful return on the substantial investment required to bring forward a project and pay for vital infrastructure, like schools, healthcare and leisure facilities.