This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Extra funding for urban woodland
23/08/2005
A further £1 million of Forestry Commission Scotland
funds will be added to the £3.5 million already allocated
to the Woods in & Around Towns (WIAT) challenge fund,
it was announced today.
Forestry Minister Rhona Brankin today urged more
landowners from the public, private and voluntary sectors
to become involved in the drive to use woodlands to improve
the lives of urban people.
Also, a new WIAT publication was launched by the
Minister, giving valuable advice and information on how
landowners, such as the City of Edinburgh Council, can and
are helping to green towns and cities. The publication is
of interest to those involved in the management of urban
and community forests, or people working in town, land use
and environmental planning.
Speaking at Craigmillar Castle Park in Edinburgh, which
is benefiting from a WIAT grant, Ms Brankin said:
"Woodlands offer many benefits for communities and
businesses. Not only are woodlands great places to go for a
relaxing walk or bike ride, they are important in boosting
pride in the community and helping to regenerate the area.
By putting the management back into woodlands we can
improve the quality of life for those who visit or who live
near or within woods in and around towns.
"By the end of April 2008, we had planned to contribute
£3.5 million to the Woods In & Around Towns challenge
fund. Such is the interest and enthusiasm in the initiative
that I have asked Forestry Commission Scotland to review
its existing spending plans so that a further £1 million
can go to boost the project.
"Already 47 projects are taking up the funding and
giving woodlands a makeover in many parts of urban
Scotland. I urge more landowners, whether from the public,
private and voluntary sectors, to get hold of this new
publication and become involved in the greening of our
towns and cities."
At Craigmillar Castle Park, owned by the City of
Edinburgh Council, the WIAT challenge fund is contributing
£48,000 towards a full landscape and recreation plan aimed
at transforming the woodlands and tidying up the park to
make it more attractive to local residents and visitors.
During the visit today, Ms Brankin met volunteers from
Enable Scotland who have also been working hard to
regenerate the area.
Councillor Ricky Henderson, Executive Member for Sport,
Culture and Leisure at the City of Edinburgh Council, is
thrilled with the investment going into urban woodlands as
well as moves to encourage more people to be actively
involved in managing and using these areas. He said,
"A city's woodlands are important areas of greenspace
for biodiversity and recreational use. It is vital that
these resources are positively managed and developed to
sustain them for the enjoyment of present and future
generations."
Another boost to the woodlands of Edinburgh came when Ms
Brankin announced that Forestry Commission Scotland was
negotiating to acquire 60 hectares (150 acres) of woodland
at Newbattle Abbey, close to Dalkeith and Eskbank. The
funding for this was left in a legacy by a former Edinburgh
resident, Mrs Mary Emily Scott, who had stipulated that the
money be used to manage mature woodlands. By using part of
the legacy, the Commission aims to acquire the woodland,
manage it, and provide woodland rangers to maximise
community benefits. The rest of the legacy has been offered
to the City of Edinburgh Council towards a European-funded
project that will help transform Craigmillar's wooded
areas.
Copies of the Woods In & Around Towns publication
can be obtained by calling Sharon Robinson, Forestry
Commission Scotland, on 0131 314 6486, or e-mail
sharon.robinson@forestry.gsi.gov.uk. Alternatively, log on
to the WIAT section of the www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland
website.
There is a growing awareness that woods in highly
populated areas provide much more than just recreation
opportunities - they contribute to people's well-being,
stimulate new economic activity and investment, and benefit
the environment. This is particularly the case in
locations that have been affected by past mining or
industrial activity leaving an extensive legacy of derelict
and abandoned land. For this reason, Scottish Ministers
instructed Forestry Commission Scotland to find ways of
moving woodland expansion and forestry activity closer to
where the people of Scotland live and work. This resulted
in the Woods In & Around Towns (WIAT) Initiative, of
which the WIAT Challenge Fund is an early feature.
The funding to revitalise woodlands across Scotland is
primarily from the WIAT Challenge Fund, to which applicants
submit bids to Forestry Commission Scotland. This money is
paid as a top-up to standard grants from the Scottish
Forestry Grants Scheme.
All the bids to the WIAT grant scheme had to include
community consultation, improved access, landscape
enhancement and work to boost wildlife habitats. Owners of
woodland in or close to settlements with a population
greater than 2000 are invited to apply for the grants.
Further information on the WIAT scheme is available on
www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland.
Forestry Commission Scotland serves as the Scottish
Executive's forestry department. It manages more than
660,000 hectares of national forest land owned by Scottish
Ministers for multiple public benefits such as sustainable
timber production, public recreation, nature conservation,
and rural and community development; supports other
woodland owners with grants, felling licences, regulation
and advice; promotes the benefits of forests and forestry;
and advises Ministers on forestry policy. For further
information, visit www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland