Aspects of Land | Spring/Summer 2018

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23 Spring / Summer 2018 Aspects of Land
Grimsby
Scunthorpe
Stockport
Crewe
Buxton
Macclesfield
Wrexham
Chester
Warrington
Southport
Bolton
Bury
Rochdale
Huddersfield
Halifax
Bradford
York
Hull
Sheffield
Manchester
Liverpool
Leeds
Preston
Birkenhead
Ellesmere
Port
Runcorn
Wakefield
Barnsley
Chesterfield
Doncaster
Blackburn
Bridlington
Goole
Beverley
There is a drive for more “natural spaces”
£112m
the total market value of the
UK forestry market
28.4 %
of all new housing in the UK was
timber framed buildings in 2016
and this is predicted to rise to
around 32% by the end of 2018
£275m
was invested in wood
processing in 2016-17
32 %
the average 5-year forestry
capital value growth forecast
(2017-21)
substantial but not always enough
of an incentive to tempt farmers away
from more profitable pursuits. “In
Scotland there is less incentive to
continue to farm marginal land due to
the lower values so the economic model
of planting conifers, with support from
schemes such as the Forestry Grant
Scheme, starts to look better,” says Marc
Liebrecht of Savills Forestry.
However, the Plan may contain reasons
Central England shows that such
a project is possible and that it
can make a huge difference; tree
cover in that area has risen from
just 6% to 20% in 20 years.
To encourage long-term
sustainability, Savills James
Adamson adds that it is essential
future timber production is
woven in as an important
thread, as previous examples
of this type of woodland
creation have often focused
too much on planting an area,
and not enough on the future
utility and commercial value of
the woodland being created.
“Ultimately with any land
management strategy, economic
sustainability is the key to
success,” he says.
other than grants to plant trees. “I was
pleased to see that the Government would
be working with Grown in Britain on
ways to get more homegrown products
into the construction marketplace,”
Marc adds. “Developing new markets and
maintaining existing markets are both
key in order to ensure there are other
incentives for planting trees.” There are
also opportunities that will arise from
water catchment management and the
creation of “natural spaces” for public
health and wellbeing.
Another key factor could prove to be
Brexit, as farmers and landowners prepare
for subsidies to change. “If subsidies
are reduced or disappear, the sums for
planting trees might start to stack up,”
Marc said. “The fact that farmers won’t
necessarily be paid by area means it might
be beneficial from a management point
of view for them to look at diversifying
and planting woodland as an alternative
stream of income.”
Overall the aims of the Plan are to be
admired; planting more trees can only be
seen as a positive ambition and success
will largely depend on the attitude
individuals take. “Landowners who want
to plant trees will do so anyway, either
speculatively, driven by a belief that the
future timber price will be hugely greater
than the current price providing some
long-term upside, or because they have
their own holistic reasons that mitigate
the potential devaluing effect of changing
the land from farmland to forestry,” James
concludes. “In an environment where
agricultural values in England trump
woodland values it is very difficult to
justify planting trees unless you strip out
the economics and take the view that we
need more. If more people take this view
then wonderful. Alternatively, enhanced
funding is needed to provide a suitable
carrot, which is a mechanism that has
proved successful elsewhere.”
■ To find out about tree planting, contact
James Adamson, Perth, 01738 477 510,
or
Marc Liebrecht, Lichfield, 01543 261 999,
The projected area of
the new Northern Forest,
providing a belt of trees
across the country
WOODLAND TRUST
PETER CAVANAGH / ALAMY