Father and son aim to get the best in land compensation

New company making sure farmers don’t lose out

A new land compensation company has been launched with a pledge to get the best deal for farmers and landowners in what are often complex negotiations with utility companies or acquiring authorities.

Keir+Co is owned by Errol chartered surveyor and planner Keir Doe, who had experience on the other side of the fence when he was employed by energy company SSE and was involved in negotiating claims which ranged from £600 to £6 million.

Mr Doe said his company filled a hole in the market at a time when several major construction projects like the dualling of the A9, flood prevention barriers and new gas and water pipelines were being built across Scotland.

“Many of the smaller chartered surveyor companies have been bought over by bigger companies who also represent utility companies or acquiring authorities,” he said.

“We’re pitching ourselves as the farmers’ representative. We’re hands-on and focused on the farmer.”

Mr Doe also handles planning applications and rejection appeals but his core business is land compensation for road schemes, tracks, pipelines and overhead transmission lines.

“At the lower end of the compensation scale it might be a contractor needing to gain access over a crop of standing barley to repair a wire,” he said.

“Compensation would clearly rise if, for instance, Scottish Water wanted to put a pipe through the ground and at the top end it might be losing a corner of a field for an electricity sub-station.”

Mr Doe has been joined by his father Lawson who worked for consultants Hayes Macfarlane and then Galbraiths when the companies merged.

He specialises in cases of “injurious affection” which is when land has become sterile or is reduced in value as a result of a utility or construction project.

He said: “With injurious affection the bottom line is that no landowner or farmer should be better or worse off after a scheme on his land.

“So, if a pipeline has been badly handled by a construction company and it takes 15-20 years for the soil to recover, farmers need to get the best deal to compensate them for that entire loss.”

The Does also farm around the Errol airfield in Perthshire, where they have diversification projects which include renting out the airfield. They also contract out the farmland.

Keir Doe said: “A range of different uses on our own land means we have personal experience of dealing with utility companies.”

Back on the farm, Lawson is still boss but at Keir+Co, the roles are reversed.

“It’s good to see Keir driving the new business,” said Lawson.

“I’m experienced on compensation claims so I can pick those up and run with them, freeing him up to do bigger claims and planning.”

Picture: Gareth Jennings. Keir and Lawson Doe have set up a new company helping farmers get compensation for construction projects going through their land.