Case Studies Category
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English farmland prices steady
The value of English farmland has held up remarkably well, despite one of the worst growing seasons in memory. According to Knight Frank's Farmland Index, the average value of farmland dropped by a little over 1% to £6,220/acre in the third quarter of 2012. Prices remain very close to their record highs and are expected to start rising again soon, driven by strong demand and an ongoing shortage of good land for sale. Where there is strong demand, English farmland ...
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Government reaffirms commitment to rural businesses
Rural England has apparently been given new powers to hold the Government to account on its promise to grow the rural economy and support thriving rural communities. The Rural Statement, launched by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson earlier this week, formalises the Government’s drive to help rural businesses overcome barriers to growth and make a sustainable contribution to economic recovery. Available on the Defra website, it sets out initiatives that are already making progress in this area alongside ...
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Booming demand for farmland
Demand for commercial farmland has continued to surge ahead with the average price per acre standing at £6,628 in the first half of 2012, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). In the six months to end-June, a jump in demand coincided with a sizable downturn in land availability and transactions fell to 115, the lowest level recorded by the RICS Rural Land Survey since the start of 2006. Across the UK, most areas saw ...
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A third of farmers plan investment in renewables
Fears over rising energy costs mean that a third of UK farmers are planning to invest in renewables in the next two years, according to new research from Barclays. For those who have invested or are considering investing in renewables, the favored forms are as follows: solar (51%), wind (43%), biomass (15%), ground source (4%) and hydro (2%). Of those farmers not considering investing in renewable energy, the main reason given was that it would be too ...
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Government backs major tidal energy projects
The Government is to back a range of major research and development projects that will focus on generating tidal energy at scale, while addressing the technological challenges faced in the deployment of arrays in the waters off the north and western coasts of Scotland. The UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, and Scottish Enterprise will undertake the work in collaboration with the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Over £6.5 million will be invested in seven ...
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German reinsurer invests in UK wind farms
A German reinsurance company with plenty of funds to invest has acquired three UK wind farms. Munich Re has purchased TIR Mostyn in North Wales with a capacity of 21 MW; Scout Moor near Manchester with 65 MW; and Bagmoor in Lincolnshire with 16 MW. Scout Moor, which is one of the largest onshore wind farms in the UK, has been sold by private equity firm HgCapital. Commenting on the move, Munich Re spokesman, Holger Kerzel, said: "The UK represents ...
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Development land prices slip 0.4%
The value of residential land in England and Wales typically slipped by 0.4% between April and June 2012, according to Knight Frank. The decline comes after a 1.3% rise in values last year, as land prices continue to mirror the movement of UK house prices, which are down 0.3% since the start of 2012. The real estate firm is hopeful that constrained supply of development land, caused partly by backlogs and uncertainty in the planning system, will ...
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Small business owners innovate to stay ahead
Small business owners are increasingly diversifying and innovating as they look to capitalise on various summer events in the UK and improve their bottom line, according to Aviva’s bi-annual SME Pulse survey. The research also reveals that one quarter of SMEs expect to enjoy a boost to their business from summer events and while businesses in London are most confident in this respect, SMEs in the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East are similarly optimistic. However, there ...
