Spear’s Review

Rising to partner in Forsters’ well-regarded rural land and business team in 2023, Polly Montoneri tells Spear’s that she splits her practice into four areas: estate management, transactions, green energy projects and housing development.

Large landowners are increasingly finding that leasing their land to renewable energy companies as wind and solar farms is a lucrative option, she explains, offering rents in excess of £1 million per year. Montoneri has taken many clients through the process, and has also developed a niche in natural capital projects, including advising landowners on biodiversity net gain agreements.

She is president of the South East Wales branch of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and is chair of the CLA’s natural capital markets and forestry committee.