Lord Gascoigne is Chair of the House of Lords Built Environment Committee. 

In this episode, Lord Gascoigne discusses how he got into politics; worked with Boris Johnson on his election campaign for Mayor of London in 2008, through to Johnson later taking office as Prime Minister. 

He goes on to explain the key findings from the first part of the Committee's enquiry into New Towns, emphasising the importance of meaningful engagement and explaining that change won't happen overnight. 

Alongside KOR's Senior Public Affairs Consultant, Grace Gladding, the pair discuss the role landed estates can play in the delivery of high quality placemaking. 

Living life in the glare of publicity, with a hugely popular YouTube channel, would not be for every owner of a historic country Estate.

But for James Lowsley-Williams and his wife Emma, documenting the running of the 500-year-old Chavenage Estate in the Cotswolds to thousands of viewers every week has proved to be a major success.

In this episode of Estate Matters nothing is off-limits as James, a former professional cyclist, tells podcast host Anna Byles about inheriting the Estate, welcoming film crews for Poldark and Jilly Cooper’s Rivals, and managing family expectations in a multi-generational business.

With a café, accommodation, weddings, filming, a 2,000-acre farm and tours of the house, James and Emma have turned an Elizabethan and Tudor Manor into a 21st century diversified business.

There have been challenges and mistakes along the way, he admits, but authentic and open engagement with the local community have helped Chavenage thrive.

Rebekah Pierce is a farmer and solar grazier in New York state. In this episode she explains how she got into farming by ‘accident’, but is now paving the way with ‘Agri Energy’ through solar grazing.

She candidly explains to podcast host, Anna Byles that energy and food production don’t have to be separate and it is projects like her own solar grazing that are bridging that gap. 

Listeners will also hear how this is benefiting soil, livestock, local communities and economies, even if the planning process can sometimes be tedious.

Rebekah makes it clear that communication and involvement with local communities is crucial to pulling back the curtain on renewable energy in order to challenge misconceptions the public might have.

Eliza Ecclestone is the owner and Managing Trustee of St Clere Estate in Kent and Executive Chair of Trustees at Chevening Estate - the official country residence of the Foreign Secretary.  

Eliza talks openly about the challenges she has faced since unexpectedly inheriting the 3,000-acre estate near Sevenoaks in Kent.

But those challenges have not stopped Eliza’s YIMBY (yes in my backyard) attitude. 

She has been working hard and communicating honestly to build trust with her local community, to ensure that the Estate not only remains a core part of the local community, but supports it too. 

Jake Fiennes is one of Britain’s most high-profile and in-demand conservationists and he sat down with podcast host, Anna Byles, at Holkham Nature Reserve in Norfolk.

Jake speaks candidly about the need for a natural capital 'Doomsday Book' to accurately measure the UK's fauna and flora, and what that means - not only for landowners - but a broad spectrum of land and green space custodians.

Balancing productive land use with nature enhancement, developing baselining tools, influencing key policy and decision-makers, and clear public messaging to rebuild people's connection to and respect for the land, are all discussed.

Andy Squires is the Lead Security Consultant with County Investigations who work with land-owning clients across the UK to remove trespassers from private land and deter them in the first place.

In this episode, Andy shares why landowners are not best placed to deal with trespassers and how the company's approach helps to avoid challenging situations.

As a former police officer, Andy says his training from neighbourhood policing is invaluable when dealing with trespassers. 

https://countyinvestigations.net/

Kim Wilkie is a strategic and conceptual landscape architect, designing projects all over the world. 

He is currently working with the Duchy of Cornwall to masterplan a new settlement South of Faversham, Kent. 

Kim's key principle, and the title of his book is: 'Led by the Land'. He belives it is critical to consider how land, water, communities and people fit together. 

Patrick Galbraith is a columnist and author. 

His recent book: 'Uncommon Ground: Rethinking our relationship with the countryside', explores the debate on access. 

In this episode of Estate Matters he tells host Anna Byles about the estates he visited and the people he met as part of his research, including landowners and access campaigners. 

Patrick's conclusion is that there needs to be more education and engagement on land access so people have a better understanding of what is available to them and why.

https://amzn.eu/d/2Nn2xqe

Joe and Keeley Evans run the Whitbourne Estate in Herefordshire. 

In this episode of Estate Matters, they discuss the challenges of growing their hospitality business, Crumplebury and what they have planned for the future of the estate.  

Joe also talks about his Vice Presidency of the CLA and what he hopes to achieve in his time as President. 

https://whitbourneestate.co.uk/

https://www.crumplebury.co.uk/

Dr Johnny Wake is a Doctor turned Estate Manager. 

He is the managing partner at his family's 1,700-acre Courteenhall Estate in Northamptonshire, as well as holding several positions with organisations including LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) and the Environmental Farmers Group. 

In this epiosde of Estate Matters, Johnny talks about a people-focussed approach to both medicine and land management. 

He discusses the importance of engaging with the local community, and shares, very honestly, the times when the estate hasn't got it right. 

Read more about the estate here: https://www.courteenhall.co.uk/