Estate Matters Episode 1: Leigh Rix - Building trust: the importance of stakeholder engagement

The value of professional communications in helping landowners achieve success with development projects is explored in the first episode of Estate Matters, a new podcast by KOR Communications.

Host Anna Byles talks to Leigh Rix, Consultant from RIXRURAL, and Annette Richman about the importance of early engagement with communities likely to be affected by planning proposals – and the value for landed estates in building and maintaining trusted relationships with the public.

Building trust: the importance of stakeholder engagement provides a fascinating insight into what can happen when landowners embark on plans to build new homes, explaining the best way to go about communicating proposals – and what can go wrong.

Leigh has wide experience working with rural estates, spending 30 years with the National Trust followed by 12 years as Director and Head of Property and Land at Clinton Devon Estates. He says:

“In order for rural estates to prosper and survive it’s very important that they demonstrate their relevance and benefit to society.”

This becomes especially important as public opinions change about land and the way it is managed.  With the prospect of a change of government at next year’s General Election, the need for estates to demonstrate that what they do has social as well as economic value becomes crucial, particularly as new rural policies are devised and implemented.

The discussion in the podcast focuses on the importance of building the right relationships with communities in and around estates, well ahead of any development plans being unveiled.

As Annette points out, those relationships need to be formed and nurtured as early as possible and seen as ongoing, not simply viewed as a statutory requirement when planning consent is being sought. She says:

“The planning and the development sits within the context of all of the other stewardship work, the public access provision, forestry management, public open space. There are so many benefits that estates bring to the wider community.”

Annette and Leigh explain the process for landowners and estate managers that are necessary to bring forward successful housing developments, including engaging all the professional services, including a PR agency, to carry out essential public consultation, gather feedback and ensure all stakeholders are kept informed of the proposals at every stage.

Projects, including housing developments on estate land in Devon and the ten-year environmental improvements to the flood plain of the Lower Otter at Budleigh Salterton, are discussed on the podcast, providing valuable lessons for others contemplating development or changes to the landscape.

Describing the Plumb Park development in Exmouth – carried out by Clinton Devon Estates with communications work by KOR, Leigh said it had been well received, despite initial concerns. 

“That was achieved by holding events in village halls, having a website and using a professional PR agency. We were able to move forward and galvanise support for the planning consent.”

There are no guarantees when it comes to planning applications, both agree.  But as Annette points out:

“We have found that where we are involved, that the outcome is that planning consent is granted sooner. The problem is if you are not in charge of the communication from the outset, these schemes rumble on and very often generate campaign groups, negative press. What could be achieved in a year could take eight years or more.”

She concludes:

“Whatever the costs of investing in communications from the outset the benefits are in actually being able to get your project over the line sooner.”