NEWS
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WOODLAND OFFER With the window set to close shortly on the chance for landowners to take advantage of Forestry England’s new woodland creation scheme, a leading figure at the CLA has advised landowners to take professional advice before signing up. Graham Clark, senior land use policy adviser at the association, told South East Farmer that the Forestry England Woodland Partnership, “could be a good opportunity” for those who wanted to create new woodland on their land with minimal effort or risk while receiving an annual rental payment. He warned, though, that there was “lots for owners to consider”, including permanent land use change, tax and other implications, and said landowners “should always take professional advice before entering into such long term arrangements”. The Woodland Partnership, launched in March, is offering landowners, including public bodies, environmental agencies and farmers, an annual, guaranteed rent in return for a long-term lease of at
least 50 hectares of land. With applications closing on 1 June, Forestry England has described the scheme as a chance to help “create and manage new woodland to support government plans for woodland creation, nature recovery and progress towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050”. It says it is “a unique offer where we pay a rent and do all the woodland creation on your behalf”, adding: “You can diversify your business income without needing to develop new expertise, and put less time and money into an unfamiliar venture.” Forestry England will design, plant and manage the new sites as part of the nation’s forests and aims to create significant new areas of high-quality, biodiverse woodlands across the country. Mr Clark commented: “Many landowners are interested in woodland creation and the grants system helps them do that at small or large scale. With that approach, the landowner retains control and gets any timber or carbon income, but also bears
all the risk. “It takes a lot of legwork to get approval, design the scheme and apply for the grant. Then there is the actual planting work and ongoing management. It’s a significant investment – and that suits many people. But for others, if they are happy to convert 50 hectares or more of their land to woodland but don’t really want to be directly involved, then the Forestry England leasehold approach may better suit their circumstances. “Under this arrangement, Forestry England takes on most of the work to create the woodland but also gets any timber income. In return for a negotiated annual rent, they take a lease on the land for 60 to 120 years to create and manage a woodland and allow public access.” He added: “It isn’t for everyone – but for some, this could be a good opportunity.” www.forestryengland.uk/woodland-creation
NEW BRAND IDENTITY FOR DEALERSHIP
The machinery dealership that now supplies John Deere products across the South East has fallen into step with the majority of its customer base by changing its name. P Tuckwell Ltd, which recently acquired Burden Bros Agri, the John Deere dealership covering Kent, Surrey and East Sussex, has announced a new name and corporate identity, and will now be known officially as Tuckwells. A press release from the third generation family business started by Len
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Tuckwell, who sold his very first Ferguson tractor in 1954, conceded that the new name was “already used by many of their customers”. Following the acquisition, Tuckwells now employs nearly 300 people across the South East. With the tractor a key part of the new branding, Managing Director James Tuckwell commented: “It was important that we continue to build on the legacy that my grandfather created, and although we have seen huge changes within the business, we will always remember how it began.”
WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | JUNE 2021
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