WellSeasonedPasty
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
I’m looking to get some insight from other land owners who rent their fields out to solar companies.
For context: I am one of four beneficiaries due to inherit land in my home county of Cornwall. Total acreage is around 140. So my ownership would be about 35acres.
The land has always been used for grazing cattle and has never grown crops, or been used otherwise. My family will be meeting soon to discuss options on what to do with the land (we will not be looking to sell), but instead continue to create an income off the land.
My feeling is that the at least 2 of the 3 other family members will want to stick with the safer option of renting the fields out to a local farmer.
I would like to generate a bit more of an income from the land. Ideally i would like to explore the solar route and try to work with a solar company to have something running where we can combine livestock grazing. I would still like the land to be available for grazing livestock as a personal choice, aswell as from a moral perspective.
Alternatively, If the other 3 family members were totally opposed to this idea, does anybody see a solution where i could potentially designate 35acres for myself - to do with, as i please.
I'd be open to any other options to pitch to my family. But as i say, it has always been used for cattle grazing and does not have planning permission for housing (nor would we want to build houses on it) (Wind turbines are also a no go). So a solar/grazing option seems the best option from a financial and moral perspective.
The general questions i’m looking to find info on are:
What is the average price for rent. per acre, per year?
I have read quite a bit on this, and average range looks to be about £700 - £1,000.
Did you negotiate for the rental rate to rise with inflation? Did you manage to negotiate for a certain % of profits to be paid as rent, and if so how much?
Lease periods. How Long is yours? What tends to be the average?
Construction process. How long did it take. Was it difficult? What to expect...
Decommission process. How straightforward? Do you think you will be ripped off when the time comes?
Some things in the contract to be aware of or look out for/ask about/clarify.
Some things you managed to negotiate.
- (I have seen alot of info about returning the equipment to landlord in good working order at the end of the lease, this seems like a great idea. Maybe a little too good to be true...)
Some things you wish you’d have negotiated?..
-Perhaps instead of the above return to landlord clause, there could be a clause where i could potentially get the solar company to install my own 2 or 3 acres worth of equipment at the start of the project and pay for the installation and equipment using the first few years of rent. I would then be able to start making a massive income from those 2 or 3 acres at the start, rather than the full acreage at the end of the lease...
In your contract are you still allowed to rent to farmers for grazing in those fields?
Potential problems? Solar companies to look out for - recommended companies or ones to avoid.
- I have seen several other solar farms in Cornwall based with PSH operations. So am making enquiries with them at the moment and awaiting reply.
I appreciate this is a very lengthy set of questions. I guess the main thing i'm trying to do at the moment is to collect as much information as possible to pitch the idea to my family, but to also educate myself, so i know where or how i might get screwed over - aswell as make sure to negotiate for the best available deal.
Thanks in advance
For context: I am one of four beneficiaries due to inherit land in my home county of Cornwall. Total acreage is around 140. So my ownership would be about 35acres.
The land has always been used for grazing cattle and has never grown crops, or been used otherwise. My family will be meeting soon to discuss options on what to do with the land (we will not be looking to sell), but instead continue to create an income off the land.
My feeling is that the at least 2 of the 3 other family members will want to stick with the safer option of renting the fields out to a local farmer.
I would like to generate a bit more of an income from the land. Ideally i would like to explore the solar route and try to work with a solar company to have something running where we can combine livestock grazing. I would still like the land to be available for grazing livestock as a personal choice, aswell as from a moral perspective.
Alternatively, If the other 3 family members were totally opposed to this idea, does anybody see a solution where i could potentially designate 35acres for myself - to do with, as i please.
I'd be open to any other options to pitch to my family. But as i say, it has always been used for cattle grazing and does not have planning permission for housing (nor would we want to build houses on it) (Wind turbines are also a no go). So a solar/grazing option seems the best option from a financial and moral perspective.
The general questions i’m looking to find info on are:
What is the average price for rent. per acre, per year?
I have read quite a bit on this, and average range looks to be about £700 - £1,000.
Did you negotiate for the rental rate to rise with inflation? Did you manage to negotiate for a certain % of profits to be paid as rent, and if so how much?
Lease periods. How Long is yours? What tends to be the average?
Construction process. How long did it take. Was it difficult? What to expect...
Decommission process. How straightforward? Do you think you will be ripped off when the time comes?
Some things in the contract to be aware of or look out for/ask about/clarify.
Some things you managed to negotiate.
- (I have seen alot of info about returning the equipment to landlord in good working order at the end of the lease, this seems like a great idea. Maybe a little too good to be true...)
Some things you wish you’d have negotiated?..
-Perhaps instead of the above return to landlord clause, there could be a clause where i could potentially get the solar company to install my own 2 or 3 acres worth of equipment at the start of the project and pay for the installation and equipment using the first few years of rent. I would then be able to start making a massive income from those 2 or 3 acres at the start, rather than the full acreage at the end of the lease...
In your contract are you still allowed to rent to farmers for grazing in those fields?
Potential problems? Solar companies to look out for - recommended companies or ones to avoid.
- I have seen several other solar farms in Cornwall based with PSH operations. So am making enquiries with them at the moment and awaiting reply.
I appreciate this is a very lengthy set of questions. I guess the main thing i'm trying to do at the moment is to collect as much information as possible to pitch the idea to my family, but to also educate myself, so i know where or how i might get screwed over - aswell as make sure to negotiate for the best available deal.
Thanks in advance
