Stop bashing the landowners

The pressure to make Britain’s rural acres fulfil a wide range of different and often conflicting roles is immense in 21st century Britain.  Farmers and landowners are called upon to provide the land to grow our food, leave space for wildlife to thrive, offer access for people to exercise and manage our most iconic landscapes.

Some of them also use land to generate renewable energy or grow energy crops, allow water to flood fields to reduce risks further downstream and give over areas for the reintroduction of species once extinct in the UK.

With so much asked of them, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to suggest modern landowners should be afforded some respect – admiration even.

Yet certain high profile environmental and social campaigners, some with millions of followers on social media and the ability to air their views widely, seem determined to paint landowners and farmers in the blackest possible light.

The degradation of the landscape, polluted rivers, the plight of wildlife under threat and a whole range of other alleged failings are laid at their door. The messaging risks tarring all with the same brush.

Yet this negativity fails to acknowledge the benefits we all get from the work of land managers, many of whom are grappling with immense challenges brought about by issues that cannot be blamed on them, but which they are being asked to solve.

Who but landowners, for instance, are going to help the new Labour Government meet its promise to build 1.5 million new homes this parliament?  Who will provide the fields where solar panels can be erected to achieve the UK’s renewable energy targets?

Where will the wildlife many of us are so desperate to see restored to the countryside find a home, if not on land that is privately owned and managed?  And who is going to look after the footpaths and bridleways, mend the stiles and the gates, to allow greater public access, for the good of the population’s physical and mental health?

In most cases, of course, landowners don’t do these things purely out of the goodness of their hearts. 

Financial sustainability is as important as sustaining the environment. They cannot deliver these benefits for local communities, as well as their tenants and employees unless their businesses are viable.

But that does not, in the vast majority of cases, mean ignoring the environment. Farmers and landowners whose families have been connected to their communities for centuries have a strong interest in maintaining the beauty and integrity of the place where they live and hope to pass on to the next generation.  

Social media can be used today to quickly trash a reputation in very short order. Scrutiny of the actions of anyone with a profile has seldom been more intense. Many farmers and estate owners with long-standing and deep connections to their communities are acutely aware of their public profile and the importance of doing the right thing.

The concept of noblesse oblige – that with privilege comes responsibility – might seem outdated in 21st century Britain, with its strong promotion of a “me, me, me” culture.  But for many landowners, it remains a central plank of the way they see the world.

Many of the schools, village halls, cottage hospitals and other essential public buildings that exist in our rural communities were built, sponsored or supported by the great country estates.  A significant number remain, through good-will, their responsibility.

Affordable property for rent is in short supply in the countryside, but cottages, built in the estate style with matching features and painted in estate colours still exist in villages up and down the land and continue to provide homes, despite challenges of meeting modern targets like Energy Performance Certificates (EPC).

Today’s landowners are more likely to build houses for sale to meet modern demands, but the same principles apply, with many creating legacy developments designed to uphold the traditions of quality that will continue to provide excellent accommodation for generations.

There may be a range of reasons for the public criticism of landowners that seems currently in vogue in certain circles. Envy over inherited wealth; a kickback against the class system and a need for commentators to make ever more outrageous allegations just to be heard.

The undoubted challenges facing the natural world, through climate change, a growing population and threats to wildlife cannot be ignored. In looking around for someone to blame, landowners look to some like an easy target.

But the reality is that there are far more good landowners than bad, carrying out far more work that is positive than damaging. There is more to celebrate than condemn.  

Those landowners who are open about the way they manage their land, share their plans and proposals with their communities and other stakeholders and work collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes are well-placed to challenge the negativity written about them.

There are many good stories about what’s happening on landed estates and farms right now, supporting environmental aims, enhancing communities and mitigating the impact of climate change. Landowners who are upfront about their work can silence the critics and win new friends – they need to do just that.