Forestry Fee to simplify licence utility course of

In response to pests and illness outbreaks, and public security dangers, the Forestry Fee has introduced it’s taking motion to simplify a part of the felling licence utility course of in sure circumstances.

A restricted variety of felling licence purposes immediately associated to the administration of tree pests and ailments could also be exempt from being included on the Public Session Register earlier than the timber are felled, the place the Forestry Fee deem that tree felling must be expedited for an overriding biosecurity or public security profit.

The change will come into impact from October 22, 2021 and might be utilized by the Forestry Fee to very particular conditions, for instance to forestall the unfold of quarantine pests or ailments, similar to Ips typographus (spruce bark beetle), or to facilitate the immediate elimination of ash timber contaminated with ash dieback and rising inside falling distance of roads.

It doesn’t impression on different situations associated to the issuing of felling licences, similar to the necessity to restock.

The end result of all felling licence purposes will proceed to be revealed on the Forestry Fee Choice Public Register, for public report.

‘Tree felling is a rigorously managed exercise’

Prof. Nicola Spence, the UK’s chief plant well being officer, mentioned:

“To guard timber and woodland cowl, tree felling is a rigorously managed exercise.

“This transformation has been made to speed up a small variety of purposes the place swift motion is required to take care of particular tree pests and ailments as a part of our robust response to the administration of those threats.

Everybody concerned within the felling of timber should at all times be sure that a felling licence or different permissions are in place earlier than any felling is carried out.

“It’s an offence to fell timber with no felling licence the place one would have been required, and anybody concerned [the owner, agent and timber merchant or contractor] could be prosecuted.”