SRDP WOODLAND CREATION BREAKTHROUGH!

Posted on 1 July 2009

Jamie Farquhar of the Confederation of Forest industries (ConFor) was pleased to announce last week that:-

“Significant improvements to the forestry grant scheme have been secured and its now time for applicants to take advantage and dust down applications and get them in!!” See http://www.confor.org.uk/NewsAndEvents/News.aspx?pid=23&id=467 for more information.

His enthusiasm comes on the back of recent confirmation that a number of amendments to the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) have been agreed at a national level and have now moved forward to Brussels for ratification later this autumn.

Bowlts’ forestry team are also very confident that the news allowing new applicants to now receive the rate of grant applicable at the time of submitting a grant claim will prove to be the key for moving forward with a fresh pulse of new woodland creation schemes (previously several of our clients were rightly hesitant to move forward and sign up contracts for new planting schemes while potentially much higher grants due to be announced for 2010 were openly being discussed by the Forestry Commission and SRDP team).

Bowlts are already pressing ahead with several new native woodland projects for 2010, which should see close to two thirds of a million trees planted, which will have their own benefits in terms of increasing sporting, habitat and wildlife benefits as well as helping to contribute towards national targets on carbon sequestration.

We fully expect to see more clients coming forward with potential new woodland schemes as general awareness increases regarding the much improved new planting rates (the current cumulative rate over a five year period for native planting is currently £1,645 per hectare which is expected to move to £3,331 over the same period (for Less Favoured Areas) following EC approval.

Clearly the new woodland planting figure for 2008 of 2,546 hectares fell well below the Scottish Government’s stated commitment of 10,000 hectares per annum. Again, figures for 2009 again look to be disappointing due to the uncertainty and many teething problems experienced with the SRDP grant system since its launch during May 2008. However, Bowlts fully anticipate a rapid increase in workload during autumn 2009 as clients gear up to a busy spring planting programme the following year.

Key to any success in getting schemes quickly up and running will be Bowlts close connections and proven track record working closely in partnership with tree nurseries and contractors.

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Due to an increasing workload, we are looking to expand our rural practice department. Our office is based at Pluscarden, near Elgin, Moray. We currently have a staff of 15 and our core activity is property consultancy and rural estate management.

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