Knight Frank has expanded its rural estate offering through a formal partnership with environmental consultancy Maydencroft as landowners face growing demand for ecology, forestry and natural capital advice.
The agreement integrates Maydencroft’s specialist services into Knight Frank’s rural estate proposition. It covers forestry, arboriculture, ecology, nature recovery, landscape management and biodiversity net gain (BNG). The move formalises a relationship dating back almost 20 years. It also comes as environmental markets and regulation create new income opportunities and management requirements for farms and estates.
“The rural estate sector is navigating a period of considerable change, and our clients rightly expect authoritative, integrated advice that reflects both the complexity and the opportunity that presents,” said Knight Frank natural capital consultant Mark Topliff. “Our relationship with Maydencroft has been built over many years of close working, and formalising that into a structured partnership felt like the right step – both for the quality of service we can offer and for the long-term benefit of the estates and landowners we work with.”
Wider expertise
Maydencroft began working with Knight Frank in the mid-2000s, initially providing tree safety inspections and land management consultancy in eastern England. The Hertfordshire business has since expanded to about 150 employees. Its work now includes veteran tree management, protected species surveys, invasive species control and BNG.
Under the agreement, landowners will be able to access those services through Knight Frank rather than appointing separate consultants. The companies said the arrangement should also generate referrals in both directions.
“What excites me most about this agreement is that it genuinely works both ways,” said Maydencroft head of consultancy Jon Collins. “We encounter clients who need exactly what Knight Frank can offer, just as they encounter estates that need technical expertise – having that formal structure in place means we can act quickly and confidently for the people we work with, knowing there is real depth on both sides.”
BNG is already mandatory for most developments in England and is expected to extend to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects later this year, potentially creating further opportunities for landowners.
The companies said the agreement would allow that multidisciplinary approach to be offered across Knight Frank’s national rural network. The partnership is already working on a number of projects.