In addition to health benefits, Green Alliance believes it could increase employment and add £2 billion to the UK economy. Another candidate for expansion is timber production. New research by Bangor University says that to meet even a modest annual increase in wood demand (1.1% per year), the productive forest area would need to be expanded by 50% over 50 years.

More and more uses are being found, tested and proven for satellite imagery in the rural sector. An agri-tech startup has used hyperspectral satellite imagery to analyse crops' biochemistry and quantify wheat's nitrogen levels, which should help with precision farming to increase nutrient use efficiency. New technologies are also overcoming the limitations caused by clouds and tree cover; a UK satellite is about to spend five years analysing woody biomass levels to investigate how much carbon is stored in the world’s rainforests.

FOOD & FARMING

Nutrient pollution cut by 4%
Since its launch in 2006, the government's Catchment Sensitive Farming scheme in England has achieved a 4% reduction in nutrient pollution, costing £15 million annually. However, during a House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee investigation into nitrogen management, Natural England chair Tony Juniper questioned the initiative's effectiveness. Mr Juniper noted that while targeted efforts could potentially increase the reduction to 15-20%, a broader strategy is necessary. He proposed implementing a nutrient or nitrogen budget, similar to the approach used for carbon, to enhance effectiveness.

Measuring nitrogen content by satellite
Satellites can now precisely measure nitrogen levels in wheat. Hyperspectral satellites capture light across a much wider range of wavelengths than traditional satellite imagery. Messium, a new agri-tech startup, utilised this technology to analyse the biochemistry of crops, beginning with nitrogen. To check the accuracy of its technique, it tested tissue samples in the laboratory to compare with the satellite's prediction. The results were also compared to conventional near-infrared spectroscopy tests, showing consistency between the methods.

POLICY

Plans to ‘ensure integrity’ of carbon and nature markets
The government has announced plans to establish a global framework to “build trust and confidence” in carbon and nature trading, along with a set of principles to support businesses in using credits. The framework aims to make clear what a “good” credit is and ensure credits deliver environmental benefits, all while encouraging businesses to fully disclose what credits are being used for in their annual sustainability reports. In terms of decarbonisation strategies, the proposal includes plans to recognise the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative as international best practice and create a scope three best practice code for companies. Additionally, the government proposes to endorse the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s principles and framework as a minimum quality requirement for global voluntary carbon market credits.

This announcement builds on the publication of six principles aimed at ensuring the integrity of voluntary carbon markets from November of last year. These principles are:

1. Use credits in addition to ambitious actions within value chains.
2. Use high-integrity credits.
3. Measure and disclose the planned use of credits as part of sustainability reporting.
4. Plan ahead.
5. Make accurate green claims using appropriate terminology.
6. Co-operate with others to support the growth of high-integrity markets.

A consultation has been launched asking for views on the proposed framework, which expands on these principles. Within the consultation, the woodland carbon code and peatland code are named, and praised, with the document stating they demonstrate “ongoing leadership” and “drive high-quality investment”. The consultation also asks for feedback on existing carbon standards and new standards in development; it runs until 10 July.

Climate Change Committee reports to Parliament
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has published its 2025 report to parliament, the organisation's annual assessment of the UK’s progress in managing and mitigating climate change. This year’s iteration of the report, the first to this government, has found that the UK’s preparations for climate change are inadequate, with delivery of effective adaptation limited and a “disjointed and piecemeal” approach to planning for adaptation. The report focused on the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which was published last year, and sets out the action the government will take to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Under the 2008 Climate Change Act, the UK government must prepare the country for climate change, and NAP3 is the government’s strategy for this. When assessing adaptation delivery, the CCC found that not a single outcome could be scored as “good”, and progress towards adaptation was either slow, stalled or heading in the wrong direction. To simplify, the commission feels NAP3 has failed.

The CCC also stated that although the current government inherited NAP3 from the previous administration, its assessment of the current situation indicated the government displayed little evidence of changing the plan of action, and adaptation was not a top priority across the government; despite the Labour manifesto promise of “Improving resilience and preparation across central government, local authorities, local communities and emergency services”.

The committee says the government must “act without further delay” and improve objectives and targets, integrate adaptation into all relevant policies, and implement monitoring, evaluation, and learning across all sectors to enhance the national approach to climate resilience. The report identifies the forthcoming land use framework, 25-year farming roadmap and food strategy may serve as vehicles to implement these actions, and the spending review should clarify budgets for specific adaptation measures, such as environmental land management to provide certainty for farmers and land managers on how they can adapt their land for the future, and safeguard against the effects of climate change on both land management and food production.

ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL CAPITAL

New tool to help communities benefit from nature restoration
A “route map” has been published by the Scottish Land Commission aimed at landowners, developers, and investors to provide a best practice guide on how nature restoration and investment in Scotland can benefit communities in the long term. Though community benefits are a voluntary part of natural capital investment in Scotland, they are an expected outcome, and the route map aims to set out a process parties can follow to agree on the community benefits that natural capital investment can deliver.

The route map sets out “six general principles” which are:

• Community benefits should be considered as early as possible, with the help of the community.
• Community engagement should be integrated into all planning and regulatory processes.
• Consideration should be made for the differing capacity of communities to engage and their varied knowledge of natural capital projects.
• Community benefits should be proportionate.
• Community needs may change over time; therefore, processes should be reviewed frequently.
• Good record keeping, especially if aiming for accreditation with the Community Inclusion Standard.

Emma Cooper, head of land rights and responsibilities at the Scottish Land Commission, said: “We’ve heard from communities and landowners that people want to work together – they just need the right tools and support. This route map is about starting honest conversations early, building trust, and ensuring local people are part of shaping what happens on their land. It’s a practical way to help ensure the benefits of nature investment are shared fairly and make a difference to communities”.

Wildfires are pushing rare species to extinction
More than 110 square miles of land have been burnt by wildfires around the UK this year, surpassing any year’s total in over a decade, with fire crews responding to over 1,400 wildfires so far in 2025. The UK has experienced an unusually dry and warm start to the year with high temperatures and minimal rainfall, resulting in dry ground and low river flows. This follows a wet winter, which encouraged lush vegetation growth, creating the perfect environment for wildfires. In South Wales alone, there have been 445 wildfires, a stark increase from the 24 recorded in the same period of 2024. North Wales has seen fire crews attend to 170 fires, while Mid Wales Fire and Rescue has tackled an alarming 772 blazes.

The destruction caused by these fires poses significant risks to lives and property, but the impact on wildlife and the environment is equally devastating. The National Trust reports that the ongoing fires at Abergwesyn common in Powys have obliterated “the last remaining” local breeding habitat for golden plovers, a bird renowned for its beauty in the British uplands. Additionally, water voles, already on the UK's Red List for endangered animals, are losing their habitats as the fires scorch their burrows. Other rare birds, invertebrates and reptiles are affected by the loss of habitat or perishing in the fire, which impacts the wider food chain. The Atlantic rainforest fire at Allt Boeth damaged protected bluebells, and flames have destroyed 14,000 newly planted trees in England at Marsden Moor in West Yorkshire.

While arson remains the leading cause of wildfires, extremely dry grass and moss can ignite and spread fire rapidly, meaning disposable BBQs or controlled burns can quickly escalate if not managed properly. The National Sheep Association believes the wildfire problem is exacerbated by land strategies that reduce the number of grazing animals - the decrease in sheep clearing the vegetation and the dry grass buildup is fuelling the wildfires.

So, what can be done? South Wales Fire and Rescue Service urges the public to be mindful of open flames, never leaving them unattended, and to avoid unnecessary outdoor burning. Reporting any suspicious activities is also crucial. Farmers can assist by informing their local fire department of a controlled burn and ensuring they are not left unattended overnight. Restoring peatland and wetland can also serve as a fire spread prevention method. An initial assessment of the Llyn Gorast site showed areas where peatland was restored and rewetted were notably more resilient to fires, acting as natural firebreaks and limiting the fire's spread across the landscape.

PROPERTY & DEVELOPMENT

More choice over “boiler” upgrades
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) could be expanded in England and Wales to give homeowners more choice of technologies. Proposed changes could see technologies added that are not currently eligible for grants, such as air-to-air heat pumps and electric heating technologies like heat batteries. The consultation also asks:

• Should property owners be allowed to access third-party finance products alongside the scheme.
• Whether to allow BUS-funded heat pumps to be installed alongside other low-carbon technologies.
• Should installers be required to deduct the grant value upfront rather than reimburse property owners.

The second part of the consultation seeks views on the current certification scheme requirements for government clean heat schemes. It asks if the Microgeneration Certification Scheme should be the sole certification scheme for all Department for Energy Security and Net Zero clean heat schemes or whether multiple certification schemes should continue to be used.

The BUS offers up to £7,500 towards the cost of clean heating technologies such as heat pumps. March 2025 saw more than 4,000 applications, up 88% on the month before and the most prolific month since the scheme was opened. The consultation closes on 11 June. Contact our Architecture and Building Surveying team for more information on clean heat systems.

Reforms will cut a year off infrastructure delivery
Amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will scrap statutory consultation requirements for major infrastructure projects. The government believes this will reduce infrastructure delivery times by a year while cutting costs and freeing up resources. The government will align the community consultation process with planning applications for major housing projects and introduce new statutory guidance to encourage local engagement. This approach avoids frequent consultation on revisions to project designs that exhaust community participation. This amendment matches the broader ambition of the Bill to streamline the planning process and speed up delivery.

BUSINESS & economy

The strong economic case for expanding UK horticulture
To meet dietary guidelines, fruit and vegetable consumption needs to increase by 86% in the UK. A report by the Green Alliance says expanding domestic horticultural production to meet this demand would add £2.3 billion to the UK’s economy. It could also create 23,520 jobs and boost farm profits by 3% nationwide. These figures assume that the same proportion of fruit and vegetables would continue to be imported. However, improving UK self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetable growing by 10% could add a further £3.3 billion to the economy, on top of the £2.3 billion from expanding demand.

The report estimates 113,622 hectares of land would be needed to expand horticulture production by 86% and suggests the government should use the forthcoming land use framework to identify suitable sites and soils. and release a horticulture strategy to facilitate this. Controlled environment horticulture could play a role, too. We explored this in our controlled environment horticulture Spotlight, and last week, the Italian indoor farming company Planet Farms announced plans to build a £25 million facility in the UK. It is worth noting the CCC adaptation report covered above highlighted that 59% of the UK’s grade one agricultural land is at risk of flooding. So, whether production is increased indoors or outdoors, investment is needed to ensure it is resilient.

Will there be a trade deal with the US or the EU?
Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has said while a deal with the US is possible, it is not guaranteed, and the government will not rush into an agreement. The government aims to secure a deal with the US before 19 May, when the Prime Minister will host European leaders and sign an agreement with Brussels covering trade, agriculture, security, and fishing. If a deal is not reached by then, there are concerns President Trump might object to the UK moving towards closer alignment with Europe.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently travelled to the US and talked with the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Despite not achieving a breakthrough, the chancellor said she was confident a deal could be struck. Britain has offered to reduce tariffs on imports of cars and agricultural products from the US, but stops short of lifting its ban on importing chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-injected beef. The US government said Bessent “noted the need for progress on fair and reciprocal trade between the US and the UK”.

Urgently expand forestry, says new research
The UK’s heavy reliance on imported wood could undermine its net-zero strategy and increase global carbon emissions. That’s the conclusion of new research from the University of Bangor, which says there is an urgent need for domestic forestry expansion and improved management to meet growing wood demand. Only 20% of demand is met by homegrown timber. The paper, published in Nature Communications, found that relying on northern boreal forests, which store large amounts of carbon, could reduce the climate benefits of using wood in construction by releasing more carbon than is saved by avoiding other materials. 

Meeting demand would require a major land use change. To meet even a modest increase in wood demand (1.1% per year), the productive forest area would need to be expanded by 50% over 50 years. Doubling the productive forest area and making management changes to boost tree growth rates by 33% would deliver a 175% increase in climate benefits. However, if an increase in wood demand is greater (2.3% per year), only a combination of doubling the forest area and boosting tree growth rates by 33% would ensure long-term climate benefits.

Savills Investment Management has announced a £100 million UK forestry mandate. The capital will target sustainably managed commercial woodlands in the UK. It is Savills IM’s first dedicated strategy in the natural capital space. The funds will be deployed solely in timber management and production, which will generate revenue by selling timber and wood products. The recent Savills Spotlight on Forestry shows £103 million was invested in British commercial forestry in 2024, reflecting a growing investor appetite for exposure to real assets with environmental credentials and long-term resilience.

Valuation Office Agency scrapped
The Valuation Office Agency will be merged into HM Revenue & Customs by April 2026 to increase efficiency, business experience and ministerial accountability. The changes are expected to cut costs, but will coincide with a likely increase in demand on the government’s valuers for business, agricultural property and stock taking valuations due to the changes to inheritance tax reliefs.

OTHER RURAL NEWS

And finally… Satellite sees the wood for the trees
How much carbon is stored in the “lungs of the earth,” our rainforests? It would take decades to trek through the dense woodland and measure it, while the thick canopy makes it impossible to monitor from above until now. The European Space Agency has launched a first-of-a-kind satellite built in the UK, which uses radar to reveal what lies beneath the tree canopy.

The satellite on board, affectionately named “space brolly” for its giant 12m diameter antenna, will use a P-band radar which can see below clouds and the forest canopy due to its long wavelength. Using an approach similar to medical CT scans, the 1.2-tonne satellite will capture slices through the trees on repeat passes until the whole picture is built. From this, the amount of carbon can be determined. On the ground measurements will continue to verify the data it is sending back. The first maps are expected in six months, and the project will continue for five years.

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