Welcome to Strutt & Parker Rural Hub

The Rural Hub is the place to find information, advice and the latest research on all aspects of land, estate and farm management.

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Specialisms

As you consider your future strategy, having access to the right expertise and information is crucial. Our teams cover every service and discipline within the rural sector; grounded in excellent farming and land management fundamentals, we are underpinned by the wider financial and property expertise of the BNP Paribas Group.

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Managing Estates & Land

Strutt & Parker’s national land management team provides strategic business advice and practical management services to clients including private estates,...

Farming

Our experienced and knowledgeable farming team can help make you become more profitable and efficient by offering practical and realistic...

Estates & Farms Agency

Strutt & Parker have been at the forefront of the estates and farms market for over 130 years. We have...

Forestry & Woodland

John Clegg & Co is the specialist forestry & woodland division of Strutt & Parker. Our specialist forestry and woodland...

Environmental

Strutt & Parker’s environmental land management advice is delivered with an eye firmly on the bigger picture and with a...

Energy

Rural Ambitions

Managing Rural Housing

Our services are tailored to each client and range from advising on the regulations affecting residential tenancies, through to a...

Viticulture

Strutt & Parker’s viticulture group are the market leaders in identifying and securing land suitable for vines through purchases or...

Rural Connectivity

Strutt & Parker's unrivalled telecoms group acts for landowners only and never for telecommunications operators. With dedicated local specialists, we...

Client Accounting & Taxation

Our land & property accounting and bookkeeping department works closely with our taxation team, who uniquely combine rural and agricultural...

Estates Development & Planning

The Planning Team work alongside landowners, institutional clients and the development industry to unlock the planning potential of land and...

Future Trends

Keeping abreast of trends in markets and demographics is key to running successful rural businesses. Whether it is looking for...

Research

Our in-house rural research team reviews the latest information and trends and produces briefing papers for clients and for our...

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Latest Articles

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Land Business Update | Week Commencing 20 April 2026

Farming & food Area of let farmland continues to fall The latest data from Defra on land ownership and tenure shows that the area of land let out (for one year or more) continues to fall (to ~28% of land, from around ~33% in 2010). The data comes from the June Survey of Agriculture, a […]

Farming
Land Business Update

27.04.2026

6 mins

Rising fuel and fertiliser costs demand a proactive response

Escalating fuel, fertiliser and energy costs are set to place even greater pressure on farm margins in the months ahead. The conflict in the Middle East has driven sharp increases in oil prices, with red diesel almost doubling from around 72p/litre to almost 140p/litre at peak. Fertiliser spot prices have also increased by around 30-40%, […]

Farming
Farming Update

15.04.2026

3 mins

Land Business Update | Week Commencing 6 April 2026

Farming & food Rural Support Plan (Scotland) The Scottish Government has published its first Rural Support Plan to give more clarity on how farmers will be supported over the next five years. It confirms the ‘four-tier’ model for farm support with some direct payments continuing, but payments being conditional on meeting enhanced baseline standards. Indirect […]

Research
Land Business Update

10.04.2026

8 mins

Land Use Framework: Key signals for land managers

The Government’s first Land Use Framework for England gives land managers and farmers plenty to consider. The central message is that there is enough land to build homes, restore nature, expand renewable energy and maintain food production – provided it is used in a more efficient and multifunctional way. But equally it acknowledges that different […]

Farming
Managing Estates & Land
Environmental

30.03.2026

4 mins

Land Business Update | Week Commencing 23 March 2026

Farming & food The Land Use Framework for England (England) The government has published England’s first ever Land Use Framework. It provides ‘broad direction that can inform decision-making on multifunctional and efficient land use’, based on ‘the most advanced spatial analysis ever undertaken in this country’. The document repeatedly states that: The Framework will be […]

Research
Land Business Update

26.03.2026

8 mins

Health & safety update | Spring 2026

Welcome to this quarter’s health and safety update. In this edition, we look at managing the hidden health risks from livestock when inviting the public on to farms. Springtime farm visits – managing the hidden health risks from livestock As spring arrives, many farms and estates have begun welcoming visitors again. Lamb feeding, open farm […]

Research
Land Business Update

24.03.2026

3 mins

Prepare early for 2026 Capital Grants applications

Farmers planning to apply for a Capital Grant when the scheme reopens in July 2026 are advised to start their preparations now, with Defra warning it expects there to be more applications than funding available. The Capital Grants scheme provides one-off grants for items or works which will improve air and water quality, support natural […]

Farming
Grants

23.03.2026

2 mins

Land Business Update | Week Commencing 9 March 2026

Farming & food Farm profit forecasts highlight pressure on crop growing farms (England) Cereals, general cropping and mixed farms are all expected to have generated lower average profits in 2025/26 than the average over the three years from 2022/23 to 2024/25. This is due to lower commodity prices and reductions in Basic Payment subsidies. The […]

Research
Land Business Update

16.03.2026

7 mins

2026 Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) grants

Farmers in England have from 17 March until midday on 28 April 2026 to make an application under the 2026 Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) grant scheme. Defra has said this will be the final round of FETF in its current form, as it will be revamping its grants offering for 2027. What does the […]

Farming
Grants

16.03.2026

3 mins

Decision time in Wales as Sustainable Farming Scheme opens

Farmers in Wales must decide within the coming weeks whether to apply for the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) or remain in the legacy Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). Farming businesses are obliged to notify the Welsh Government of their decision using the annual Single Application Form (SAF). The deadline for submission is 15 May. SFS […]

Farming
Environmental

04.03.2026

4 mins

Land Business Update | Week Commencing 23 February 2026

Farming & food SFI 2026 – more details announced (England) The Secretary of State Emma Reynolds provided some more details of the ‘reset’ scheme at the NFU Conference. Key points are: Reaction has been generally positive. There are however a number of key elements still to confirm, the biggest of which is what the total […]

Research
Land Business Update

02.03.2026

7 mins

Use SFI 2026 to cut risk and build business resilience

Farmers now have enough detail to begin preparing for a 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) application. This is an opportunity to look ahead and consider how SFI could support your business in terms of strengthening resilience, de-risking and shaping a farming system that works for you over the long term. SFI 2026 – key changes […]

Farming
Environmental

27.02.2026

3 mins

Farmers urged to prepare for Environment Agency inspections

Failures in nutrient planning, soil testing and yard drainage systems are some of the most common breaches found on farms during Environment Agency inspections, with some form of non-compliance discovered on around half of farms. Alice Johnson, a member of the farming team within Strutt & Parker, says that the EA has been gradually increasing […]

Farming
Environmental

26.02.2026

3 mins

Energy, Nature and Net Zero Update | March 2026

Strutt & Parker’s Energy, Nature and Net Zero team consists of a UK-wide network of industry-leading chartered surveyors, qualified professionals and foresters, who unlock opportunities for landowners and managers within the environmental and energy sector. Updates within these sectors are provided below, with relevant contact information if you wish to discuss them further. Policy, legislation […]

Research
Energy
Biodiversity Net Gain

20.02.2026

12 mins

Land Business Update | Week Commencing 9 February 2026

Farming & food Weather expected to remain wet in February but may move to average in March and April (England) Land managers are becoming increasingly concerned about the long, wet period. The Financial Times reports that rain has fallen for 32 consecutive days in Reading, where more than 100 global climate scientists recently met , […]

Research
Land Business Update

13.02.2026

5 mins

Succession planning creates urgency on land registration

Around 10% of land in England & Wales remains unregistered, according to recent HM Land Registry data. With succession planning currently high on the agenda for many farming and estate businesses, there is now a growing list of reasons to consider registering land for the first time. The process of registering land is complex and so is typically carried out […]

Managing Estates & Land
Farming
Succession Planning

12.02.2026

2 mins

Land Business Update | Week Commencing 26 January 2026

Farming & food Agricultural water rules to be simplified (England) The existing rules will be combined into one set of England‑wide rules which Defra hopes will be easier to understand. The government is also consulting on changing the rules on sewage sludge spreading on farmland and possibly bringing it under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. The […]

Research
Land Business Update

30.01.2026

8 mins

Changes to energy efficiency plans for let property announced

The Government has revised its timetable for improving the energy efficiency of residential let property and confirmed a lower improvement cost cap than originally proposed. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has confirmed that landlords will still be expected to ensure their property achieves a minimum EPC equivalent to Band C by 1 […]

Managing Rural Housing
Policies and regulations

29.01.2026

4 mins

Land Business Update | Week Commencing 12 January 2026

Farming & food Inheritance tax U-turn as tax-free allowance per person raised to £2.5m from £1m (UK) The change makes a significant difference when combined with the previous amendment to allow allowances to be transferred between spouses. It means that spouses or civil partners with combined farmland estates worth £5 – 6 m will pay […]

Research
Land Business Update

15.01.2026

10 mins

Take control of uncertainty with an estate strategy

Rural estates are dealing with an increasingly long list of pressures: unpredictable weather patterns, changes to inheritance tax rules, the withdrawal of Basic Payments, increased expectations around environmental delivery, greater regulation and rising operational costs. Taken together, these factors are making it harder to rely on established operating methods and assumptions about revenues. This is […]

Managing Estates & Land
Land Business Update

15.01.2026

5 mins

27 April 2026

English Estates & Farmland Market Review | Spring 2026

Average farmland prices remain stable, despite mood of caution Analysis of Q1 2026 highlights reduced supply The UK farmland market in England has remained stable during the first quarter of 2026, with limited supply and steady demand helping to offset a wider mood of caution across the sector. Analysis of our Farmland Database shows just over […]