Rural Outlook | 2024

We approach the spring with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, both in terms of the rural economy, and wider macroeconomic factors.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is the mechanism by which new housing, commercial and infrastructure developments in England will become ‘nature positive’.

Amidst a dynamic renewable energy landscape, developers are still scoping out new solar energy and battery storage projects in England, even though many considered this market to be almost at saturation nearly two years ago.

With global agreement on the urgency of the climate crisis and time slipping away to reach our targets of a net zero power supply by 2035 and a net zero economy by 2050, the energy transition has never been more pressing. Solar farms have an important role to play in this transition.

Legacy development is increasingly popular for rural landowners looking to develop their land in a sustainable way while benefiting future generations by creating high-quality, environmentally conscious communities.

Never before has land been subject to so many competing demands. Could it now be time to embrace the concept of a Land Use Framework? And where does that leave farming, now in a largely unsupported world?

It’s essential for anyone that has land with potential for development to keep apprised of the opportunities arising from emerging local development plans.

18 months after it was first introduced, there are finally glimmers of hope for landowners and developers affected by Nutrient Neutrality.

Over the past 12 months, there has been a noticeable increase in land brought to the market, marking a shift from previous years.

Rural investment portfolios offer significant potential whilst providing a safer investment opportunity than other, higher-risk, asset classes.

At the time of writing, Bidwells’ agriculture and environment team have been working with the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2023 offer for three months and have had mixed experience with the actions chosen, the compatibility with other schemes, and the application process.

Around 10 years ago, we saw the introduction of Class Q (agriculture to residential) and Class R (agriculture to a flexible commercial use) permitted development rights, which opened significant opportunities for barn conversions and rural diversification.