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Gamebird shooting on our land

​Last year, we announced our intention to no longer renew shooting leases when they come to their natural end. This was part of our wider land management approach to ensure we manage our land better to improve water quality and reduce flooding in our catchments as we respond to the challenges of climate change and population growth.

Following representations from several stakeholders, we decided to pause and instigate an independent review to look at the environmental, social and economic impacts of any decision, and ensure understanding of any change. The scope of this review will use data and feedback and look at each specific land holding on a lease-by-lease basis.

Earlier this year, we appointed Charles Cowap to undertake the review and he is making good progress. His current phase of work involves meeting with a range of parties with an interest in gamebird shooting on our land, including current shooting and farming tenants, to gather data about the impact of any changes. Charles is likely to take the rest of 2024 to complete his work

Charles is a chartered surveyor, agricultural valuer and chartered environmentalist who spent most of his career at Harper Adams University in Shropshire where he taught and researched various aspects of rural land management. Since retirement from the university in 2018, he has continued to work part time as a consultant in his own right, advising on a range of new developments in rural land management. Charles started his career working on farms in the 1970s. Once qualified as a chartered surveyor he worked as a surveyor and land management adviser, and subsequently as a senior valuer before joining Harper Adams.

Charles Cowap is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), Fellow of the Association of Agricultural Valuers (FAAV), professional fellow of the Institute of Agricultural Management (PFIAgM), Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of England (FRAgS), Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and Master of Business Administration (MBA).

All current arrangements will remain in place until the review is concluded. Any shooting leases which continue to hold over will do so until the review is complete, unless the leaseholder does not wish to exercise their rights during the next shooting season.

We are conscious there are many voices to be heard and we will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to contribute.