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scheme (ELMs) once you’ve secured a place in it,” said Ms Pollock. “There’s no risk and the time is now.”


John Lockhart, chairman of Lockhart Garratt, one of England’s leading environmental and ecological planning and forestry consultancies, said it was good to see Defra working closely with the FC. Picking out some of the market drivers for woodland creation, Mr Lockhart said that the environmental, social and governance (ESG) messages were “getting through to the boardrooms” and that landowners were looking for new ways to operate, particularly in a post-subsidy environment. The opportunities and markets included timber; carbon; biodiversity offsetting; planning and development of green infrastructure; environmental net gain; and improvements to water quality and reducing flooding.


A prime example of managing forestry for a multitude of markets is the Cowdray Estate in West Sussex and Nina Williams, head forester, described how the 2,750ha of forested estate is managed for timber production, environmental objectives and societal access.


Tree cover is three times the national average (especially in the south-east of England) at 36% and comprises 55% conifer, 20% broadleaved high forest, 15% sweet chestnut coppice and 10% of open scrub. The estate harvests 12,000-15,000 tonnes of timber per year, most of which is softwood, with a small amount of hardwood and firewood. Twenty hectares of sweet chestnut coppice are cut per year (sold as a standing sale) and 300-400m3


of fresh sawn timber,


processed at the estate’s own small sawmill, is sold into local markets.


Key considerations, said Ms Williams, were continuity of supply and maintaining a sustainable yield. Put simply, “you need to know what you’ve got and how fast it is growing”.


Key tools were a 10-year woodland management plan (“FC management plans are typically 10 years but I suggest 50-100 years is more appropriate”), forest mensuration and five-year detailed timber production forecasts. “We know what we’ve got, so the next stage is working out what it’s worth and for that you need a good working relationship with timber merchants and to keep timber buyers informed of your annual production plan,” said Ms Williams.


She added that it was also a good idea to put parcels out to tender in order to check market values and that it was important to keep abreast of market trends in order to adjust production accordingly. As an example, she said that the Covid-induced travel restrictions had reduced the airports’ requirements for wood chips for heating over the last 18 months, so the estate had taken


this into consideration when planning its output.


Ms Williams added that the largest demand was for softwood but good hardwood and character timber also has a market. “We’re trying to guess what the markets will be in the future so we can plant accordingly. We don’t see it changing anytime soon and, if anything, conifers will increase. “Good timber comes from good trees but they also have to be looked after – by weeding, pest prevention and pruning,” she said. “Presentation of timber is also very important. If the woodland looks good it helps to sell the timber. And businesses want to see your green credentials.”


Ms Williams said that having its own sawmill added value to Cowdray’s timber production, as did FSC certification and that she was “genuinely excited” by the carbon sequestration market.


“I think that could change the timber


market quite considerably,” she said. Richard Baker, managing director at


Wessex Woodland Management, said that the UK softwood market had been “incredible” over the last 18 months, although it was now stabilising, and that the UK hardwood market is “currently in a fantastic place”. After a slump in demand in early 2020 due to the first pandemic lockdown, there was a strong increase in demand for hardwood species in late 2020 and through 2021. This coincided with constraints on imported supply, which were caused by the pandemic and by the massive increases in shipping container rates.


“Demand for good quality oak is


exceptional, so now is the time to market it,” he said, adding that roadside sawlog prices in September 2021 were from £416-554/m3 oak planking; £277-£416/m3 and £166-221/m3


for for oak beams; for oak fencing.


The average standing sales price of broadleaves was increasing very slowly (from approximately £18/m3


obs in 2012/13 to


approximately £29/m3 Mr Baker.


obs to date), said


The average roadside price for all species had risen from around £30/tonne in 2011/12 to around £70/tonne to date, while the average roadside price for all species of green logs had risen from around £40/tonne to around £110/tonne to date. Meanwhile, the average standing price for conifers had risen by 135% between 2012/13 and the year to date – from around £18/m3 £43/m3


obs to around obs.


Mr Baker added that the EWCO was “a once in a generation opportunity to get trees planted at scale” and that public awareness and support and government policy and funding were all in alignment.


“If we start this we’ve got to continue it,” said Mr Baker. “This is the best time we’ve ever had to plant trees.”


In other presentations on the day, Neil Harrison, commercial director at re:heat, a full service biomass engineering and consultancy company, talked about wood as a fuel, while Jo Harrison director of the environment, planning and innovation at United Utilities explained why tree planting and forestry is so important to the water industry. Harry Greenfield, senior land use adviser in the CLA’s London office, talked about environmental net gain and local nature recovery strategies, while Richard Palmer, a director at Forest Holidays presented on the luxury cabins available for short-term rent on FC land, demonstrating how planting trees is sometimes an enabler to other businesses. Bridget, Bill and Molly Biddell shared their experiences of owning and managing the Hampton Estate in Surrey. The estate is managed for commercial timber production but also for fuel, hop growing, venison and education.


Hilary Allison, environmental consultant and Forestry Commissioner rounded off the event with a look at the role of the UK’s forests in a global context. ■


Above: Having its own sawmill adds value to Cowdray’s timber production www.ttjonline.com | January/February 2022 | TTJ


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