A guide for rural landowners and farmers on the Land Use Framework 

The Government’s long awaited Land Use Framework was announced on 18 March 2026 and sets out how England will balance competing demands on land over the coming decades. It provides a strategic direction for how food production, nature recovery, climate objectives, housing needs and energy infrastructure should be planned and managed. While the Framework does not create new legal obligations, it signals how future policy, funding and planning decisions are likely to evolve. For rural landowners, farmers and their advisers, it gives an indication of where new opportunities may emerge and therefore how land management decisions may need to adapt. 

Long-term planning

Drawing on our work with landed estates, farming businesses and rural landowners, the Land Use Framework is another prompt for more strategic, long-term planning.  

Many clients are already facing the overlapping pressures relating to food production, environmental delivery, tenancy arrangements and diversification. The Framework does not resolve these pressures, but it does provide a clearer direction of travel that landowners and farmers can use to inform business decisions. 

In our experience, there is real value in undertaking a structured review of the landholding to identify constraints, opportunities and areas of potential change. That has long been the case, but the Framework is a timely reminder.  For some clients, this may involve mapping soil quality, stewardship options, natural capital baselines and areas where environmental uplift could add value. For others, the priority may be assessing where planning risk is increasing, for example in relation to housing demand or energy infrastructure. 

Tenancy arrangements remain a common area of complexity. We often advise both landlords and tenants to ensure that their agreements provide sufficient flexibility to respond to emerging environmental schemes, nature markets and other land use demands. In many cases, outdated documentation can limit access to schemes or create tension between parties that could otherwise be avoided. 

We are also seeing growing interest in nature markets and environmental credits. While these can create new income streams, they require careful evaluation. Long-term contractual commitments, restrictions on future land use and interactions with existing agreements need to be fully understood before entering into any scheme. As with renewable energy projects, the detail of the contract is critical. 

Preparation is key

For landowners looking at development, the Framework should strengthen the evidential basis for objecting to proposals that would lead to the loss of productive farmland. For example, the loss of the best and most versatile land is likely to be more heavily relied upon in objections to housing, solar and infrastructure proposals. Preparing clear, well supported representations early in the planning process can significantly improve the prospect of success. Conversely, for those seeking development opportunities on less productive land, aligning proposals with spatial priorities and environmental data will become increasingly important. Multi-functional land use will become more common. For example, grazing under solar panels. 

Overall, the Land Use Framework represents a shift towards more integrated, evidence led decision making. Rural landowners and farmers who engage with the policy direction early, and who take steps to understand how their land fits within the new context, will be best placed to make the most of opportunities.