The social value landed estates bring to their communities and the wider world is significant. They need to start telling their stories

Money, they say, makes the world go round.  But while hard cash is a handy measure by which we judge what something or someone is worth, it is not the only way.

Landed estates have a valuation measured in monetary terms, but they also have a social value that reflects all the benefits they bring to their communities.  They need to be bold about explaining those benefits, both in their communities and to the wider world. 

As Anthony Downs, Estate Director, Hatfield Park Estate, put it:

“Communicating the value of estates to a new audience is a vital component of modern rural business” adding that those running landed estates should be “proud of their work.”

A change of government in the next 12-18 months is now a real possibility, even a racing certainty, in the eyes of some commentators.  That puts growing pressure on many sectors, particularly in rural areas, to justify themselves and what they do as they face scrutiny from politicians.

Land and inherited wealth have long been seen as ready sources of state income, through taxation and other measures.  Labour has yet to show its hand in any detail when it comes to rural policy, but with the financial crisis likely to be still an issue come the general election, it would be remarkable if Keir Starmer and his team weren’t casting an eye over the sector.

Many estates already make a significant contribution to UK plc.  They grow food and rear livestock, provide housing in rural areas where it is often scarce, create jobs and offer space for businesses.  They also pay taxes.

But they provide less tangible or easily measured benefits too, that are no less important.  Publicising those benefits, to the community and regionally and nationally so that politicians take notice, has seldom been more important.

There is nothing new in recognising the benefits for health and well-being of taking exercise in the open air, the restorative qualities of spending time in the countryside or the life-enhancing effects of enjoying a great view or watching wildlife.  Providing storage for water to reduce flood risk and planting trees and managing land to capture carbon are also a big part of rural management today.

Those are experiences and services that our country estates and farmland provide in abundance.  Yet trying to calculate, in a measurable way, their social value is a challenge.

It is clear, however, that those benefits do need to be measured, quantified and then added to the easier-to-gauge output from a landed estate like food from farmland, rural housing and commercial premises for rent and the employment and wealth creation it all brings.

Put the whole thing together and the value, socially, environmentally, and economically is a strong one.  But estate owners and managers would be naïve to think everyone looks at them and what they do and immediately sees the benefits.  Some observers, and that includes politicians, might just see a taxable asset that needs closer scrutiny.

The CLA has recognised that likely scenario.  It is asking its members to take part in a survey, organised by the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) to put a monetary value on all the activities landowners engage in that help their communities and benefit the state.

The CLA says:

“In the run up to the next general election, it is more important than ever that the CLA has strong evidence to demonstrate how land managers help the people that live and work around them. The value this provides is rarely accounted for, or even properly acknowledged. The CCRI have found that CLA members are generating tangible social impacts, but we need more data than is currently available to demonstrate that value and support our lobbying.”

The data will help to flesh out a story that is already well known across much of the countryside but deserves a far wider audience.  

It’s a story that KOR can tell on behalf of estates, providing expertly targeted communications, meaningful engagement and careful management of clients’ reputations. Click here to learn more about the landed estates and rural businesses KOR represent: