Ashcombe Woods, located on Ranmore Common and within 29 miles of London, extends to approximately 134 acres and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Available as a whole with a guide price of £825,000, the dominant trees within the woodlands are oak with a shrub layer of holly, silver birch and yew. Whilst it is mainly woodland, there are some areas of heath and rough pasture.
Carbon offsetting represents the last part of the solution to the enormous challenge of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and the availability of Ashcombe Woods is believed to provide genuine natural capital potential.
Carbon offsets are used to compensate for the residual emissions of a system once direct emissions reduction has been completed. While emission reductions should be the priority, offsetting plays an important role in enabling the transition to net zero.
There are two types of carbon offset market; the compliance market and the voluntary market. The compliance market is regulated and applies to companies that by law have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The UK has its own ‘cap and trade’ Emissions Trading Scheme, which applies to energy-intensive industrial plants, power stations and aviation operators.
Chris Spofforth, head of Savills South East rural agency team, which is handling the sale, said: “The growing interest in woodland for carbon offsetting and environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives makes the sale of Ashcombe Woods an increasingly attractive investment.
“The Savills Rural Research team recently modelled the impact of carbon income on a variety of woodland creation models to understand the extent to which carbon is changing forestry market dynamics. If carbon prices rise in line with research predictions, and regulatory baselines continue to increase, carbon will endure and grow as a dominant force for change within the forestry market, blurring the lines between land-use change and viable investment.
“However, even with rapid carbon price growth, the high returns from timber are likely to remain the most substantial income driver for forestry investment.”
Dorking, Surreyt
GUIDE PRICE: £825,000
Approx 134 acres
Chris Spofforth | cspofforth@savills.com | 01444 446066 | www.savills.co.uk
