Mixed picture for land market

Land supply in Scotland has increased by 22% in the past year, while land in England has become 25% tighter, according to Savills.

Figures for between September 2011 and September 2012 show less land coming to market overall throughout Britain following a trend that has seen marketed land fall from an average of 193,115 acres a year between 1998 and 2004 to just 121,857 acres in 2012.

Scotland was the only region where supply increased. Land prices have gone up again in the third quarter of 2012, says Savills. Prime arable land is now worth an average of £7,175/acre, which is 3% more than quarter two. The average for all land types has increased by the same amount, reaching £5,565/acre in September 2012.

At an average of £6,452/acre and with an increase of 7.3% in the past three months, Scottish prime arable is gaining on English prime arable, which is worth an average of £7,251/acre.