Maintaining tradition or seeking modernisation on rural estates: Anna's appeal for research volunteers

Posted 28 January 2021

Rural land owners whose estates are on the fringe of urban areas are being sought to assist with Harper Adams University research.

For her final year honours research project, Anna Fisher, 22, from Lancashire, is seeking to answer the question “Should rural estate owners on the rural urban fringe utilise the commercial benefits of urbanisation or preserve the traditional land on the estate?”

“I want to understand the factors that influence rural land owners’ decision and what effect those decisions could have on urban development patterns”, explains Anna, who is due to graduate in 2021 with an honours degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management.

“Rural estates are becoming increasingly under threat from the ever-expanding urban fringe and landowners often struggle to know what the right decision is. Completing my placement year on an estate that had to make these very decisions inspired me to explore into what land-owners motivations are and the impact of these.”

To complete her study, Anna is now seeking to recruit land-owners from across the UK, whose estates sit on the urban-rural fringe and who are willing to be interviewed in early March. To volunteer, please get in touch with Anna via email.

Explaining her motivation to study REALM and progress a career in land management, Anna said: “I have always been intrigued by the vast range of components that are required to be managed to ensure that the estate runs smoothly for the owners and their effect on the community.

“After speaking with a land agent and completing a week’s work experience at Smiths Gore (Savills) it secured the idea that this is what I wanted to pursue a career in.”