Acharossan Forest Acquisition
Feasibility Study
Prepared by Doreen MacIntyre and Munro Gauld
March 2008 ACHAROSSAN FOREST ACQUISITION FEASIBILITY STUDY
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all those who contributed their time, knowledge and expertise to the production of this report, especially the members of the Kilfinan Community Forest Project steering group, the Community Animateurs, and other members of the local community. This report was commissioned by the Kilfinan Community Forest Project and funded by the Community Land Unit of Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
KCFC would like to thank the following organisations for supporting the project:
Community Woodlands Association Scotland
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CONTENTS
Page
Executive summary 5
1. Introduction 14
2. Background 15 2.1 Community context 15 2.2 Acharossan Forest 18 2.3 Kilfinan Community Forest Company 19 2.4 Policy context 20 2.5 The process to date 21
3. The Way Forward 27 3.1 Community control – potential outcomes 27 3.2 Options for the community 27 3.3 Advised course of action 29 3.4 National Forest Land Scheme 30
4. Acharossan Forest 31 4.1 Location 31 4.2 Forest structure 31 4.3 Management constraints 33 4.4 Access 34 4.5 Forecasted timber output 36 4.6 Woodland management options 37 4.7 Woodland management delivery 41
5. Valuation of Acharossan Forest 42
6. Appraisal of development opportunities 43 6.1 Income generating activities 43 6.2 Paths / tracks 55 6.3 Education 57 6.4 Outdoor play area 58 6.5 Woodland crofts 59 6.6 Housing 65 6.7 Environmental improvement 66 6.8 Arts 68
7. Delivery 69 7.1 Structure to deliver 69 7.2 Community capacity 71 7.3 Timetable to deliver 72 7.4 Financial assessment 74
8. Conclusions 82
APPENDICES Appendix A. References 84
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Appendix B. Acronyms 85 Appendix C. Community Activities 86 Appendix D. Community Consultation Findings. January – March 2007 88 Appendix E. Interim Report Consultation. December 2007 91 Appendix F. Community Skills Audit Summary 94 Appendix G. Acharossan Community Forest Management Plan – 97 Management Proposals Appendix H. Draft Project Manager Job Description 99 Appendix I. Projected Development Finance 102
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this Feasibility Study is to assess the options for Kilfinan Community Forest Company (KCFC) for the potential of Acharossan Forest, located in the Kilfinan Parish, Argyll to deliver tangible social, economic and environmental benefits to local residents and visitors alike.
CONTEXT
Parish of Kilfinan Situated on the western side of the Cowal Peninsula, the area covered by this report is the whole Parish of Kilfinan, designated PA21. The main settlements were traditionally Ardlamont, Millhouse, Kilfinan and Otter Ferry, the villages of Tighnabruaich and Kames being established in the latter part of the 19th century. Retaining a feeling of remoteness, yet within relatively easy reach of large centres of population, this scenic area is a popular visitor destination.
From a high of approximately 3,500 in 1950, in recent years the population of the area has fallen to a current full time population of around 700. The parish is popular with retired people, who now form around 70% of the resident local adult population. Since the 1950s numbers of young families have decreased due to the contracting local jobs market, a decline in local service provision and lack of affordable housing. Over half of the area’s private housing is now second homes.
Acharossan Forest, which adjoins Tighnabruaich, extends over a total area 447ha (1105 acres). As such it is a major local resource, which is at present unmanaged and underused, and provides no local employment. The forest was planted in 2 phases in 1963 and in the mid 1970s. The forest cover consists of 60% conifers, 37% open ground and 3% broadleaves. The earliest planted areas in the forest are now reaching maturity, but these now urgently require to be managed before windthrow becomes widespread.
The community based organisation which is leading this initiative was set up as the Kilfinan Community Forest Project (KCFP) in 2005, and formally established as Kilfinan Community Forest Company (KCFC) in October 2007. KCFC’s primary aim is to acquire an area of Acharossan Forest from Forestry Commission Scotland, and by doing so, delivering and opening up a range of local benefits.
Policy The current policy climate is relatively favourable towards KCFC’s aspirations. In recent years there has been a growing political awareness of the types of issues affecting rural communities such as Kilfinan Parish, and in particular, there are 3 specific areas of policy which specifically relate to what the community’s aspirations is hoping to achieve, namely: The Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP), the Scottish Forestry Strategy, and the Crofting Reform Act 2007. The implications of each of these as they relate to the KCFC project are considered in this report.
Community consultation Since 2005, the community has been consulted extensively on its views on the issues facing the area, and the ways in which Acharossan Forest could be used to address these issues. The key themes which recur throughout the consultation process are: the need for affordable and sheltered houses, the need for more full time, economically active residents in the area, the need for local jobs, and the need for improved recreational opportunities and environmental improvements. The consultations have indicated that the community is broadly supportive of the project, and this was underlined by the response to the community ballot which took place in June 2007. There were 392 (out of a possible 622) responses to
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the question “Do you support the proposed purchase of part of Acharossan Forest by the Kilfinan Community?” This represents a 64% return rate. There were 297 votes for “Yes” (76% of the vote cast) and 94 for “No” (24% of the vote cast).
In 2007 scoping studies were commissioned to outline the opportunities for community management of Acharossan Forest, to identify the renewable energy potential of forest products, and to investigate the affordable and sustainable housing prospects within the forest. In tandem with the housing study, a survey was carried out to assess local demand for affordable housing / forest crofts.
A skills audit which was undertaken in November 2007 revealed that there is a wealth of skills within the community, and an encouraging level of willingness to participate in the Kilfinan project.
THE WAY FORWARD
Community acquisition Community control over Acharossan Forest would potentially result in the aims and objectives of KCFC being met and could provide a range of local and wider public benefits. However the extent to which these benefits could be realised depends to a large degree on the type of land tenure that the community decide to pursue in relation to Acharossan Forest. Of the three types of land tenure which the community could consider – lease, management agreement or acquisition – acquisition is the option which would enable the greatest amount of public benefit from the forest. Should the community decide to proceed with purchase of the forest, this could either be carried out in a single phase, or in stages. However, if the community is willing to take on the responsibility of ownership, it is advised that it should consider a one-stage purchase of the forest as it: • Gives a practical possibility of gaining access into Acharossan Forest from the FCS plantation to the north. As there is no other vehicular access into the forest, this is a vital element to allow KCFC to effectively manage the forest. • Allows the community to use proceeds from the sale of timber from the more commercially viable areas to subsidise the non-income generating elements of the project. KCFC would thus have the potential in the future to become financially sustainable. • Capitalises on the current agency and governmental support for community land initiatives, including funding support from lottery and other bodies.
The opportunity for KCFC to acquire Acharossan Forest has been made possible through the Forestry Commission Scotland’s National Forest Land Scheme (NFLS). For communities to be successful in their bid to acquire National Forest Land, they must satisfy the Scheme’s eight eligibility criteria as part of the application process, and an initial assessment would seem to indicate that KCFC is able to fulfil all these criteria.
The acquisition of Acharossan Forest by KCFC would entail the raising of considerable funds. The District Valuer valued the forest in March 2008 at £500,000. An additional sum of approximately £5,000 would be required for legal fees.
Whilst it is not possible to detail exactly how the necessary acquisition funding could be raised by KCFC, it is possible to identify the principal sources of funding, as used in similar circumstances by other community land initiatives. This is summarised as follows:
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Funding Source % of Acquisition Costs Amount Growing Community Assets (maximum) 85 £429,250 Community Land Unit (approximately) 9 £45,450 Community contribution (minimum) 6 £30,300 TOTAL 100 £505,000
An application for related capital, revenue and aftercare development funding may also be submitted to the GCA at the same time as applying for acquisition funding.
ACHAROSSAN FOREST MANAGEMENT AND ACCESS Acharossan Forest has received little or no active management inputs by Forestry Commission since planting. As a result it is unthinned and in places is heavily infested with rhododendron. An indication of the general susceptibility to windthrow of the growing stock at Acharossan is given by the “Windthrow Hazard Classification” (WHC) indices for the Forest which are derived from an assessment of four site factors – location, elevation, exposure and soil type. Scores range from 1 to 6 where 6 indicates the greatest risk. As over 60% of Acharossan Forest is classified as being WHC 4 or 5, windthrow is a serious limiting factor to the future management of the forest.
The “thinning window” for the forest has been missed, with implications for appropriate future management due to the windthrow risk. A programme of rhododendron control is required, otherwise it will continue to dominate the open ground and rides and will rapidly spread into any areas of the forest which are felled.
Acharossan Forest currently has no existing management access into the forest from any public road. It may be possible for KCFC to obtain a right of access into Acharossan Forest from a new road to be built to the proposed housing development site at the southern edge of the forest. Whilst this access option may well provide useful light management and recreational access in the future, KCFC can not rely on this and the organisation would be advised to proceed with the acquisition of the forest on the assumption that alternative access solutions will need to be put in place. FCS has agreed in principle to grant a right of access from its forest to the north and to allow KCFC to construct an access road joining onto the existing FCS forest road. It is advised that KCFC only proceed with the acquisition if this right is granted and funding secured to construct the road infrastructure necessary to effectively and efficiently manage the forest.
There are currently no management access roads or tracks within Acharossan Forest. The Acharossan Community Forest Management Plan (the Management Plan) identifies the need for extensive internal management access roads to enable woodland management operations and timber extraction. The Kilfinan Path is an ancient right of way that runs through the forest. However, it has not been maintained and has become obscured with rhododendron and windthrown trees, making access difficult. There are currently no other recreational opportunities in the forest.
The Management Plan estimates the total harvest of timber from the forest to be in excess of 48,000 tonnes of sawlogs (logs suitable for milling), along with considerable quantities of roundwood. The Management Plan divides the forest into 5 different compartments for the purposes of woodland management, as follows:
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Compartment Description 1 Mostly well-grown timber suitable for commercial harvesting 2 The 1963 plantings 3 Mostly fragmented woodland of variable timber quality 4 Native woodland 5 Open ground
The Management Plan suggests that Compartment 1 should be managed in a predominately conventional commercial manner. Compartment 4 (Native Woodland) is very small in scale and Compartment 5 (Open Ground) does not pose undue difficulties in terms of management. However Compartments 2 and 3 are made up of more isolated and poorer quality commercial plantations in the south and east of the forest. The Management Plan suggests that it would be problematic and not cost-effective to undertake conventional woodland management in these compartments and suggests an alternative community- based approach for Compartment 3 and perhaps Compartments 2a and 2b.
Whilst many elements of the management prescriptions outlined in the Management Plan are appropriate and potentially feasible, the timber utilisation options identified in Section 5.1 of this report indicate that the small scale nature of local markets would be insufficiently large or developed to absorb the potentially large quantities of sawlogs and low grade timber which is likely to be produced in Compartments 2 and 3 of the forest. It is therefore suggested that the community would need to take a different approach to that outlined in the Management Plan to resolve the management issues for these compartments.
Analysis of current markets combined with the uncertainly of future markets for sawlogs, roundwood, woodchip etc would indicate that the community should maintain as great a degree of flexibility as possible. A fundamental aspect of this would be the need for upfront investment to create a network of extraction roads and tracks throughout the forest, including a Class A road linking the south of the forest to the existing road network in the FCS forest to the north of Acharossan Forest. If pump-priming funding can be accessed by the community to carry out the necessary infrastructure works at the start of the project, this would allow the community to approach the woodland management of the whole forest in a more strategic way, and would not preclude the community carrying out the small-scale forest management activities which are envisaged in the Management Plan.
Valuation Under the terms of the NFLS and on the joint instruction of FCS and KCFC, a valuation of Acharossan Forest, dated 3rd March 2008 was carried out by the District Valuer. The District Valuer put the total value of the 447ha of Acharossan Forest at £500,000. This includes an estimated figure of £10,000 for 3 small areas of land over which there is some doubt as to the FCS title. This valuation is valid for a period of 6 months.
Development Opportunities There are a number of forest-based income generating activities which the community could consider, namely:
• Firewood – potential to guarantee the firewood supply to local customers, and to grow the local market for heat and hot water production using wood. • Wood products – relatively small scale production of milled timber and other timber products, to meet current and future local market needs. • Bunkhouse – meeting a need for “indoors” budget accommodation in the area, possibly built from local timber.
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All abilities trail
Multi-use track
Link access road to FCS
Kilfinan right of way
Wildlife Hide
Forestry yard & sheds
Car park
Boundary of Potential Development Area (PDA)
Fyne Homes Car park & housing site entrance
Acharossan Forest: Compartment map & indicative development
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• Agricultural produce – emphasis on quality, possibly organic, local food production. • Wildlife tourism – area suitable for the development of wildlife tourism, and forest as a key element in the delivery of this. • Renewable energy – potential future production of wood-chips and / or pellets as the market develops. Potential of hydro power in the longer term. • Charcoal – market potential for small, seasonal operation, supplying charcoal for e.g. barbeques, heating and soil improvement. • Deer management and venison – active management of forest deer population possibly by means of a Deer Management Partnership, selling carcasses to local venison producer. In the long term possibility of processing venison locally.
Other opportunities include: • Paths / tracks – development of a track network in the forest to allow for all abilities and access modes, and to provide access through the forest to a viewpoint down the Kyles of Bute. • Education / training – potential for forest based formal and informal educational / training opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. • Outdoor play area – create facilities in the forest - a safe play area for smaller children and an adventure area for older children and teenagers. • Crofts – the creation of several “woodland crofts” in the forest, enabling the construction of a small number of houses, and agricultural / horticultural activities to take place. • Housing – opportunity for KCFC to work together with local housing providers to help facilitate the provision of rented accommodation to meet the local housing / sheltered housing need. • Environmental improvement – enhancing the biodiversity and amenity value of the forest, and conserving and enhancing the landscape value of the forest. • Arts – drawing on a wealth of local talent; potential to involve people of all ages and interests.
Delivery KCFC is a locally democratic membership organisation. It is a limited company with charitable status and fits the eligibility criteria for applying both to acquire the forest through the NFLS and for funding from Lottery funds. In order to maintain charitable status of community land initiatives, it is advisable that any non-charitable activities such as trading be carried out by subsidiary companies. In the initial stages, this could involve the establishment of a fuelwood business selling firewood to the local community. Another element could be the establishment of a small sawmilling operation, utilising a contracted-in mobile sawmill with sawn and dried timber being used within the forest and being sold locally. It is recommended however that KCFC contract out the majority of woodland management operations rather than employing staff directly and purchasing the necessary capital equipment. KCFC would thus operate as a facilitating organisation to enable the development of local businesses.
Woodland crofts There is the potential for KCFC to create a number of woodland crofts within the southern half of the forest where new crofters could lease croft land for agricultural and forestry related businesses along with land to create housing. However, despite the existence of legislation to allow for the creation new crofts and the necessary safeguards being in place to ensure that they can meet the long term local need for rented land, involved agencies have not yet developed the required models / structures. It is also not clear whether the Growing Community Assets fund would support the acquisition of land where the creation of crofts is an element of development proposals. It is therefore recommended that KCFC do not proceed with this element of the project until the relevant funding body support and agency
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policies are in place. This delay (perhaps until Year 3 of the project) would also allow for the necessary access infrastructure to be created within the forest.
Project development It is envisaged that a Project Manager will be required by the community to develop and take forward key aspects of this project, working with the community. As is the case elsewhere, a manager with general organisational / management skills could bring in or sub-contract specialist advice or services (e.g. forestry services) as required.
The community skills audit indicates that many of the skills / experience required to run an organisation such as KCFC already exist locally. A broad range of members of the community – and potentially some specialists from outwith the community - should be involved as directors and office bearers in KCFC. Training may be required in a number of areas to ensure competent governance and management. The operating structure of KCFC could be such that strategic decisions are made at Board level and operational activities delegated to sub-groups. At an operational level, members of KCFC could be encouraged to use and develop their broad range of skills.
Projected income and expenditure for the development phases of the project are outlined in the below tables. Please note that the information provides an indication of potential costs; it may not be complete, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Project Development Expenditure Summary Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Totals Employment costs 33,040 30,560 32,840 32,960 32,860 162,260 Aftercare 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 8,500 13,000 Forest infrastructure 110,000 34500 144,500 Capital equipment 2,250 33,500 6,100 41,850 Environmental management 14,250 21,000 21,000 6,000 6,000 68,250 Recreational access 12,000 20,000 137,000 20,000 189,000 Interpretation and education 1000 1500 4200 6,700 Woodland crofts 5,750 5,750 Woodland management 6,175 34,350 6,150 2,000 48,675 Total Expenditure 70,215 217,560 276,740 66,110 49,360 679,985
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Project Development Income Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Totals GCA Capital Funding 11,210 70,680 79,249 9,880 2,280 Revenue Funding 24,780 22,920 24,630 24,720 24,645 Aftercare funding 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Sub-total 307,994 HIE Community Land Unit 8,260 7,640 8,210 8,240 8,215 40,565 HIE Argyll & Islands Enterprise 450 6,700 1,220 0 0 8,370 SRDP Forest infrastructure 0 33,000 10,350 0 0 Environmental management 7,125 10,500 10,500 3,000 3,000 Woodland management 1,853 0 10,305 1,845 600 Recreational access 6,000 10,000 68,500 10,000 0 Interpretation & education 500 750 2,100 0 0 Sub-total 189,928 KCFC own contribution Sale of standing timber 0 38,925 0 0 0 Woodland crofts 0 0 60,000 0 0 Local fundraising 5,223 0 0 0 0 Income from Trading Subsidiary 0 0 10,185 9,135 9,660 Sub-total 133,128 TOTAL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT INCOME 66,901 202,115 286,249 67,820 56,900 679,985
It is suggested that a 5 phase approach is taken to enable the community to deliver the project in a measured way which enables it to gather momentum in a planned and well managed manner.
The five phases are: Phase 1 Project start-up (Year 1 to 2) Phase 2 Economic and management activity start-up (Year 2 feasibility / business plan; deployment Years 3 to 5) Phase 2a Housing development (Timing to be confirmed) Phase 3 Croft development (Estimate Year 3 onwards) Phase 4 Economic activity development (Year 5 feasibility / business plan, Year 6 onwards for deployment)
Conclusions As things stand at present there is much in the area’s favour, but there are local issues – primarily around affordable housing, and lack of job and recreational opportunities - which have served to bring the area into decline, a situation which without intervention will continue.
Acharossan Forest, adjacent to Tighnabruaich, has been largely unmanaged by the Forestry Commission Scotland, and it is now suffering from the effects of neglect. Ideally, active management should start as soon as possible, but FCS plans envisage a start to management operations only in 10 years’ time.
KCFC’s vision is to provide a wide range of benefits to the local community and to visitors through the acquisition and sympathetic development of 447 ha (1105 acres) of Acharossan Forest. There is a wide range and depth of skills and experience within KCFC and the wider
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community and KCFC has a high level of support in the local community to take forward the acquisition.
Access to the forest and its resources is a key issue. In order to be able to efficiently and effectively carry out the full range of social, environmental and economic development activities envisaged by KCFC, and to maximise the public benefit, the community should consider seeking funding to establish a road / track network into and within the forest. Any access created into the southern edge of the Forest next to Tighnabruaich would only be suitable for light management and recreational access. In principle FCS has agreed on community right of management access over the adjacent FCS holding to the north. This would be suitable for the extraction of the significant volumes of sawlogs and round wood in the forest. Any income derived could be invested in the other opportunities identified.
A project manager should be employed by the community to manage the planning of the projects, to co-ordinate the carrying out of planned activities, and to communicate with key stakeholders.
Although the viability of most of the economic activities identified by the community is not currently clear, there are prospects for market conditions improving in a number of areas in the future.
In addition to undertaking silvicultural management operations in the forest, there are a number of activities which the community could start to undertake early in the life of the project which would deliver considerable recreational, social and environmental benefits. In the longer term the plans which KCFC has for the forest would undoubtedly bring significant additional public benefits of all kinds to everyone in the local community and to visitors to the area.
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1. INTRODUCTION
Feasibility study aims and objectives The purpose of this Feasibility Study is to assess the options for Kilfinan Community Forest Company (KCFC) for the potential of Acharossan Forest, located in the Kilfinan Parish, Argyll to deliver tangible social, economic and environmental benefits. The report aims to accurately and realistically reflect the community’s opinions and aspirations regarding acquisition of the forest. It draws on and adds to a number of studies which were carried out in 2007, providing an overview of the socio-economic prospects for the project.
The report outlines the context for the project proposal, and considers the potential of the acquisition of Acharossan Forest as a means to providing benefits to the local community and visitors alike. An outline is provided of possible ways forward for acquisition of the forest, and consideration is given to the activities which would be enabled by community ownership of the forest. It analyses the capacity of the community to manage and develop a project of this size, and considers means by which community capacity could be developed. A critique is carried out of the financial implications of each of the options considered, and of the associated benefits.
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2. BACKGROUND
2.1.COMMUNITY CONTEXT
2.1.1 Kilfinan Parish Situated on the western side of the Cowal Peninsula, the area covered by this report is the whole Parish of Kilfinan, the designated PA21 postcode district. The name Kilfinan means “church of St Finan”, named after a 7th Century disciple of St. Columba. The parish is essentially a peninsula in its own right, and covers an area of 13674 ha (33,763 acres). It is approximately 23.3km (14.5 miles) long and just under 9.5km (6 miles) wide at its greatest extent. The main settlements of the parish are Tighnabruaich, Kames, Ardlamont, Millhouse, Portavadie, Kilfinan and Otter Ferry. The coastline of the parish is around 30 miles in length. The countryside is rolling rather than mountainous, reaching just under 460m (1500 feet) at its highest point.
Historically, the parish was settled primarily around its western and southern coastal fringes. Until the mid to late 19th century, the main settlements were Ardlamont, Millhouse, Kilfinan and Otter Ferry. The villages of Tighnabruaich and Kames were established in the latter part of the 19th century, becoming popular with the growing merchant class in Glasgow as a haven from the city’s grime and bustle.
2.1.2 Population In the late 18th / early 19th century, the population of the parish was around 2,000. By the 1950s, the resident population had increased to around 3,500, primarily due to economic developments in and around Tighnabruaich. Since then, the population has entered a period of sharp decline, and the full time resident population of the parish is now around 700. The demographics of the parish have also radically altered since the 1950s. The parish is popular with retired people, who form around 70% of the local adult population, compared to a national average of 30%. Since the 1950s, the relative number of young families and children in the area has greatly reduced due to a significant contraction of the local jobs market and the availability of affordable homes
2.1.3 Economic activity Traditionally, the primary activities of the parish’s inhabitants were farming and fishing. At one time around one third of the working population was also reported to have been employed in local slate quarries. In 1839, gunpowder works started operation close to Millhouse. These operated for over 80 years, finally closing in 1926.
In recent times there have been significant job losses in the forestry, fishing, fish farming, retail, tourism and land management sectors and the public sector. At its peak, the Forestry Commission provided 37 local jobs, but this number gradually fell as local planting work tailed off. The local FCS office closed in 1987, and now FCS employs only one or two people in the local area. The area’s last operational fishing boat ceased working in 2004.
At present, the majority of the parish’s employment is in tourism (over 30%), retail (over 10%), construction and building services (over 15%), hospitality (over 5%), land management (over 5%), gardening (over 5%) and recreation. At present, there are a number of migrant workers in the parish, with between 15 and 20 people employed on local estates and fish farm.
Around 40 people in the parish are self-employed. The areas in which they are active are outlined in the diagram below.
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Self employment in Kilfinan area accountants other 5% construction 5% forestry 26% 5%
childcare 5% gardening / landscaping writers 16% 11% administration 11% retail/sales/shops 16%
There are few job opportunities for those wishing to move to the area.
2.1.4 Housing There are approximately 450 privately owned houses in the parish, 35 Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) rented houses, and around 20 holiday chalets which are permanently occupied. There are currently no council houses in the parish. Approximately 60% (250 houses) of the privately owned houses are second homes. Around 10 of these are long-term let; the remainder being occasionally occupied during the course of the season.
There is a strong demand for housing of all kinds in the parish. The market for houses is buoyant, with prices commanded at or above the national average, and there is a permanent waiting list for council house accommodation. The shortage of affordable housing, either to purchase or to rent, has given rise to the situation where 3 season accommodation is now being occupied full time, and to a hidden homelessness problem, where informal forms of temporary / longer term housing arrangements are pursued. Coupled with limited job opportunities, the shortage of affordable housing also acts as a disincentive for families to move to the area.
2.1.5 Transport links The parish is somewhat isolated, Tighnabruaich being 40km (25 miles), or a 50 minute drive, from Dunoon, 130km (80 miles), or a 2 hour drive / ferry crossing to Glasgow. The western section of the B8000, from Strachur, passes through Otter Ferry and Kilfinan, is the original road to Tighnabruaich. The “New Road”, the A8003 which connects with the A886 (Glendaruel to Colintraive road) to Tighnabruaich was opened in 1969.
Prior to the opening of the New Road, the primary means of reaching the parish was by sea. Until the late 1960s, there were regular steamer and mailboat services which connected Tighnabruaich with Dunoon, Glasgow, Greenock, Ardrishaig and other points on the Clyde. In the early 1970s, the regular twice daily steamer services were withdrawn, which is considered to have played a significant role in the downturn of the area’s fortunes. The steamer tradition continues today in a greatly reduced form - the paddle-steamer Waverley still calls in at Tighnabruaich regularly during the summer months with excursions from Glasgow and Ayr. On the other side of the peninsula, ferries traditionally sailed from Otter Ferry to Port Ann on the Kintyre peninsula, until the pedestrian ferry ceased operating during the 1940s.
Public transport in the parish is rather limited, with a couple of scheduled bus journeys between Tighnabruaich and Dunoon from Monday to Saturday. There is no Sunday bus
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service. There is a need for local transport to enable more elderly residents within the parish to visit the shops, Post Offices or surgery. Specific routes which have been identified included between Kames and Rhubaan and Kilfinan, Ardlamont, Portavadie and Millhouse.
2.1.6 Shops The number of shops in the area has also decreased in recent times. In the early 1970s, the bakers shop, 3 grocers, the shoe-shop, ironmonger and chemist closed. At present the area has 2 post offices, 2 general stores, a gift shop, a gallery, one charity shop, an antique shop, and one shop which functions as a draper/carpet fitters/hairdressers. A van selling fish and vegetables visits the area once a week. Most local people now carry out their weekly shopping in Dunoon, where there are Co-operative and Somerfield stores, or at the Tesco stores in Greenock and Port Glasgow. For other items, internet shopping is becoming increasingly popular with local families.
2.1.7 Schools Until 1969, there was schooling up to secondary 4th year in Tighnabruaich. That year, the secondary school section closed down, with secondary school pupils being housed during the week at the Dunoon High School hostel. The hostel is currently closed for refurbishment, and secondary school pupils are at present being bussed daily to Dunoon, a journey of 40km (25 miles) distance, which takes over 50 minutes to complete each way. The primary school has stayed open, but its roll size has decreased markedly in recent years – from around 60 pupils in 1980 to numbers varying between the low 30s and 40 at present.
2.1.8 Services / facilities Recreational facilities in the parish include: • A basic playpark for children in Tighnabruaich. This is currently underused due to its location near a busy road and its proximity to the shoreline. • Community Halls at Millhouse, Kilfinan and Kames • Shinty and 5-a-side playing fields in Tighnabruaich • Floodlit tennis courts in Tighnabruaich • The Kyles of Bute 9 hole golf course close to Kames • Fishing at 3 stocked lochs run by Tighnabruaich Angling Club
Other public facilities in the parish include: • Churches at Kames and Kilfinan. • Public toilets at Kames and Tighnabruaich. • A public library service which visits the parish once a month.
There is excellent broadband coverage across some of the parish. Other parts of the area, however, do not at present have access to any form of high speed data communications.
2.1.9 Activities There are around 20 different groups / clubs / activities in the parish, providing a range of activities and opportunities for local involvement or volunteering. Details are given in Appendix C. There are several clubs which cater primarily for senior citizens, while a number of sports activities are open to people of all ages. Lifeboat and fire and rescue services are manned locally by volunteers.
It is noticeable that a number of groups which catered specifically to younger people have ceased in recent years. This is assumed to be due to a combination of declining numbers and increasing administrative requirements including Disclosure Scotland and Health & Safety legislation.
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2.1.10 Visitors While having a strong sense of remoteness, this scenic area is relatively close to urban centres. As a consequence it is very popular with visitors. The area is a popular destination for yachtspeople, families, golfers, fishermen, hill walkers, cyclists, bird-watchers, and foreign visitors. At present, facilities for yachtspeople are rather limited, and a need has been identified for showers and general washing facilities. Most of the current tourism development continues to focus seaward, and there are plans to develop marina facilities at Portavadie. There are relatively limited walks in the area, particularly on to higher ground to enable visitors to enjoy road-free access to the area’s spectacular views.
2.1.11 Future prospects If the local situation continues to develop as at present, the community is likely to remain constrained in terms of its development potential. Some new jobs would be likely as a result of the planned marina development at Portavadie, but many if not most of these would be at relatively low rates of pay. Consequently, the lack of affordable housing would continue to act as a barrier to young families coming into the area. If the existing housing market remains at the current buoyant level it would continue to attract primarily retirees and the second home market, possibly skewing the balance of full time / part time residences further than at present.
As public services continue to be squeezed, it is foreseeable that the area could lose one of its Post Offices, and this could have a roll-on effect on the viability of the remaining local general stores. The school roll would be highly likely to remain well below capacity, and the overall ageing of the local population would be likely to continue.
2.2. ACHAROSSAN FOREST Acharossan Forest, which adjoins Tighnabruaich, extends over a total area 447ha (1105 acres). As such it is a major local resource, which at present is unmanaged, and underused, and which provides no local employment.
The ground on which Acharossan Forest is planted was originally unimproved grassland and undrained heathland. Until its acquisition by the state in 1963, the land was owned by 2 local families for hill farming, and it was used for the grazing of sheep and cattle. Since 1963, the forest land has been owned by the State and managed by Forestry Commission Scotland on the State’s behalf.
The forest was planted in 2 phases in 1963 and in the mid 1970s. The forest cover consists of 60% conifers, 37% open ground and 3% broadleaves. The earliest planted areas in the forest are now reaching maturity, but these urgently require to be managed. Over 60% of the area of Acharossan Forest, that the community wishes to acquire, has been assessed by the Forestry Commission as being vulnerable to windthrow. This has already begun to happen in some areas of the forest.
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Map 1. Location of Acharossan Forest
2.3. KILFINAN COMMUNITY FOREST COMPANY The community based organisation which is leading this initiative was set up as the Kilfinan Community Forest Project (KCFP) in 2005. From establishment, an active 12 person steering group drove the project forward, formally establishing the organisation as Kilfinan Community Forest Company (KCFC) in October 2007.
Full membership of KCFC is free and open to all members of the local community who are on the local electoral roll. Free junior membership is also available to young people who are full time resident in the area. Associate membership is available to part time residents and supporters of the project. Associate membership is currently free, but KCFC has plans to introduce an annual fee of £10 once a benefits package for this membership category has been agreed upon. The first AGM of KCFC will take place in March 2008.
KCFC is a Company Limited by Guarantee with Charitable Status (number SCO38908). Its primary aim is to acquire an area of Acharossan Forest from the Forestry Commission Scotland, and by doing so, the organisation envisages delivering and opening up a range of local benefits: • Access and recreational opportunities • Generation of direct and indirect employment • Affordable housing
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• Creation of an educational resource and provide training • Improvement of the habitat and wildlife value of the forest • Development of renewable energy systems for housing • Sustainable land management
2.4 POLICY CONTEXT The current policy climate is relatively favourable towards KCFC’s aspirations. In recent years there has been a growing political awareness of the types of issues affecting rural communities such as Kilfinan Parish, and the Scottish Government has committed to providing assistance to address these issues. This is being realised through the institution of structures, funding and policies to support initiatives which can help to address the issues of rural depopulation, ageing of the rural population, decline of traditional rural industries and wherever possible to support environmental enhancements.
In particular, there are three specific areas of policy which specifically relate to the community’s aspirations, namely The Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP), the Scottish Forestry Strategy, and the Crofting Reform Act 2007. The implications of each of these as they relate to the KCFC project are considered in turn.
2.4.1 Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) The SRDP is a £1.6 billion grant programme of economic, environmental and social measures which aims to develop rural Scotland. The programme will run until 2013. It brings together a wide range of formerly separate support schemes including those covering the farming, forestry and primary processing sectors, rural enterprise and business development, diversification and rural tourism.
The National Strategy for the SRDP (Ref 1.) aims to support environmentally sensitive, sustainable agriculture, forestry, food production and associated business as a catalyst for rural regeneration and securing the long term viability of rural businesses.
The SRDP National Strategy acknowledges that diversification is required in rural areas as a means of achieving population retention. The continued importance of agriculture, food and forestry to rural areas is recognised, as are the potential employment effects of forest recreation and tourism, forest products, the growth in eco and wildlife tourism, and the development of local woodfuel markets
Opportunities to build on entrepreneurship in rural areas are identified, alongside building on civic awareness and developing capacity building programmes. There is support for actions to encourage the development of new and innovative products and processes, and a recognition that improved marketing of products will be important.
A major focus of the SRDP will be to sustain and improve the landscape, and the natural and historical environment. It is recognised that environmental improvements will have a wider role in contributing to general social and economic benefits, for example facilitating tourism opportunities and enhancing living and working environments. The potential which exists to encourage small scale improvements and solutions for services such as recreation, tourism, transport, energy, IT access and housing is acknowledged.
The main outcomes of the programme are envisaged to include well maintained landscapes and biodiversity benefiting people and businesses, and rural development benefiting local communities. There is to be support for the reduction of food miles and for the development of renewable energy.
The SRDP is anticipated to come on-stream some time during the spring of 2008. Through this, funding will be made available to assist communities and others to establish
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businesses, invest in machinery etc. While this is potentially encouraging for KCFC, it will be important to keep in mind that the SRDP is likely to be extremely competitive, and the organisation would have to remain focussed, clear and specific about its requirements were it to apply to the programme for funding.
2.4.2 The Scottish Forestry Strategy The Scottish Forestry Strategy (SFS) seeks to encourage the positive and creative use of Scotland’s forest resources, integrated with other land uses and businesses as a key element in securing long term viability and sustainability of rural communities (Ref 2.).
The SFS’s vision is one where the forestry resource has become a central part of the country’s culture, economy and environment. The vision is underpinned by a number of principles, all of which the KCFC project supports:
• Sustainable development • Social inclusion • Forestry with people • Integration with other land uses and businesses
The objectives of the SFS, with which the KCFC project is again a good fit, include:
• Assisting community participation • Enhancing opportunities for health and enjoyment • Contributing to the growth in learning and skills • Facilitating the development of markets for forest products • Facilitating rural business diversification and development • Increasing the contribution of forestry to tourism • Positive contribution to soil quality and landscape quality • Helping to protect and enhance biodiversity
The Forestry Commission Scotland’s focus, as outlined in the strategy has six priorities, including delivering forestry for people and rural development.
2.4.3 Crofting Reform Act 2007 The Crofting Reform Act 2007 came into effect in June 2007. It allows for the creation of new crofts, addresses the neglect or misuse of crofts and ensures that crofters are able to take full advantage of the economic benefits of securing croft land. It also provides a mechanism to allow a crofting landlord to remove a crofter’s statutory right to buy their croft for any new crofts created, and also to limit a crofter’s right to assign (transfer) the croft lease to non- family members.
Further measures covering the regulatory work of the Crofters Commission and information held on the register of crofts commenced in January 2008.
The principal relevance of the Act to KCFC is the ability to create new woodland crofts which is one of the organisation’s objectives. This is further discussed in Section 6.4.
2.5 THE PROCESS TO DATE
2.5.1 Community consultation 2005 The potential of the acquisition of Acharossan Forest as a means of addressing the local
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need for recreation, housing and employment opportunities, had long been considered by members of the community. The introduction of the National Forest Land Scheme in 2005 made community acquisition of the forest a possibility. Initially, Acharossan Forest was identified as enabling a potential solution to these problems by means of a forest village which would be located in the heart of the forest. A local initiative, the Dunbeag Project, worked with Scottish Native Woods and Reforesting Scotland to carry out a local community consultation in August and October 2005. (Ref.3).
The purpose of the consultations were: a) To inform people of the Kilfinan area of the project and its possible opportunities b) To involve local people in designing the project to ensure that it addresses the needs and interests of the local community c) To gauge public opinion about the project – and specifically the opinion of key interest groups
A total of over 100 people were contacted during this process. The key findings were as follows:
• Most people consulted felt that the population of Tighnabruaich was ageing and that there was a lack of jobs and affordable housing. This was resulting in a sense that the community was gone or ‘dying’. A ‘timeline’ of Tighnabruaich showed that over the last 50 years, many facilities and services had closed, but there had also been some positive developments during that time. • A large majority of people contacted were supportive of the project, and some people indicated that they would like to be involved. • However, a few people thought that Tighnabruaich / Kames was fine as it is. • There is some concern in the village about the nature of the project. In particular some people were unfamiliar with timber-clad housing and concerned about the lifestyle associated with living and working in forest.
Main priorities of local residents for the project:
• More permanent residents • Affordable housing • Diversification of income-generating opportunities
Main concerns about the project:
• Practicalities of putting in sewage, water and access • Apathy in the village and a lack of support for change from a minority • Lack of understanding about the project
2.5.2 Formation of the Kilfinan Community Forest Project (KCFP) As a result of the community consultation findings a 12 person steering group of local residents, was established. At this point, the focus of the project broadened in scope to encompass the potential benefits of the project to the wider community of Kilfinan Parish, and the vision of a separate forest village was modified to one where the housing and other envisaged facilities form a natural and seamless forest based extension to the village of Tighnabruaich.
2.5.3 Scoping study In November 2005 a Scoping Study (Ref. 4) was carried out into the potential of renewable energy. The findings of this were that hydro power was perhaps the most promising renewable energy resource available (although the reservoir is in Scottish Water’s
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ownership); and biomass represented the largest resource which was available to the development, but the cost of conversion to useful energy is relatively high.
2.5.4. Community Animateurs In January 2007, with funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, two local community animateurs started work with the project. They were employed by the project to act as the primary interface between the project and the wider community. Both of the animateurs are people who have lived in the area for most, if not all of their lives.
Since they were engaged, the animateurs have directly engaged with the Kilfinan Parish population, and have helped to facilitate a number of activities. These include a community questionnaire conducted door-to-door around the Kilfinan Parish from January to March 2007 (see Appendix D). They publicised the full community ballot, on the acquisition of Acharossan Forest, which was held on June 28th 2007. A local community skills audit was conducted in November and December 2007 whilst promoting the formation of Kilfinan Community Forest Company and encouraging local people to become members of the Company. The animateurs also assisted in providing the local community background information used in this report.
2.5.5 Studies Early in 2007, studies were commissioned by the project for the management of the area of Acharossan Forest, which the community is interested in purchasing, and to explore opportunities for local renewable energy. Simultaneously, an overall project feasibility study and housing study was commissioned by Fyne Homes, a local housing association.
2.5.5.1 Management Plan for Acharossan Forest The management plan for Acharossan Forest (Ref. 5) identified the following key points:
Sitka spruce is the dominant species in the proposed area. Stands at the northern end of the forest contain large volumes of potentially readily-marketable, sawlog-quality timber that would be best harvested commercially, with the potential for timber to be hauled northwards along existing FCS forest roads.
Elsewhere conventional harvesting and restructuring would not be a straightforward operation. Timber cannot be hauled south and through the village for environmental and safety reasons. The broken terrain, long extraction routes, the fragmented nature of the forest and the variable quality of the timber will all present difficulties. However, these drawbacks make this part of the forest potentially suitable for alternative, community-based harvesting and restructuring solutions. A large volume of timber is involved and the community will have the opportunity to develop locally-based ways of utilising it.
2.5.5.2 Renewable Energy Study The renewable energy study (Ref. 6) considered the potential of energy from the forest’s wood products. The study concluded that it would not be viable to install a wood-chip based community heating system for a network of less than 22 houses.
For the 10 affordable or sheltered houses initially envisaged, individual wood-fuelled heating and central heating would be the most appropriate solution, but pipework etc. should be installed in such a way as to easily accommodate retrofitting of a community system at a later date, should this become the most viable way forward. The feasibility of a community combined heat and power system was also considered, but this was not found to be viable unless alternative heating networks were developed or fossil fuel sources were used. It was observed that this would be unlikely to fit with the project’s objectives, but it was suggested that the community should give the option some consideration.
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2.5.5.3 Feasibility Study A Stage One Feasibility Study into the community ownership and management of Acharossan Forest was commissioned by Fyne Homes and funded through a grant from Communities Scotland (Ref 7). A draft was submitted in May 2007. However, as the Kilfinan community was not the commissioning body, this led to difficulties in communication between the consultant and the community and, as far as the community was concerned, a lack of agreement as to the desired outcomes of the study. As such, some of the findings of the Feasibility Study were disputed. As a consequence, the draft Study was not approved by Fyne Homes, and it has not been made public.
This report, Acharossan Forest Acquisition Feasibility Study, which has been commissioned by KCFC, follows a brief to provide sufficient information for the community to be able to make informed decisions about applying to purchase Acharossan through the NFLS and any subsequent applications for funding. Some elements of the earlier study have been incorporated into this report and as such this report supercedes the Draft Stage One Feasibility Study in May 2007.
2.5.5.4 Phase One Affordable Housing Development - Master Plan and Design Guide The report, instructed by Fyne Homes (and incorporated in Ref. 7), investigated the options for affordable and sustainable housing in Acharossan Forest. In particular, it focused on the provision of 10 houses by Fyne Homes for rent or part-sale as part of “Phase 1” to be located at the southern edge of the forest adjacent to Tighnabruaich (for location see Map in Section 2.4). The land upon which the housing is to be developed is also owned by FCS and as such if it is to proceed, would form a separate acquisition through the National Forest Land Scheme by Fyne Homes or other appropriate Housing Association.
Much of the report details site layout, design and technical aspects of sustainable building construction concerning the Phase 1 housing development. However, it may be possible that elements of the design information could subsequently inform and be used for any other housing development instigated by KCFC in the future.
It is anticipated that the principal links between the Fyne Homes development of the Phase 1 site and the KCFC purchase of the remainder of Acharossan Forest would be: • Shared access by Fyne Homes and KCFC from the A8003 public road through 3rd party land into the forest. It is hoped that KCFC will be able to use this access road for recreational / light management access into the southern half of the forest. • Use of timber from Acharossan Forest in the construction of the Phase 1 housing. The report also emphasizes the potential for the utilisation of woodfuel sourced directly from Acharossan Forest. • Potential for shared infrastructure and services. It is probable that any future built development by KCFC (such as sheds for machinery, woodland management, renewable energy projects etc) would look to utilise services and infrastructure connecting / running through the Phase 1 housing development.
2.5.6 Housing Needs Analysis An initial housing needs analysis was carried out in May 2007. This identified local demand for housing and / or woodland crofts. A total of 6 families / individuals expressed specific interest in housing and the local Community Council had recently observed that specific types of housing (such as three bedroom family homes) would be needed to retain or attract young people and young families in or to the Parish. The housing needs survey also revealed an unfulfilled need for sheltered accommodation. Eight families expressed a specific interest in woodland crofts to carry out a variety of small scale economic activities. The size of croft identified by the families ranged from 2 acres (0.8ha) up to 20 ha (50 acres).
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2.5.7 Community Ballot In June 2007, a ballot concerning acquisition of the forest was carried out of all members of Kilfinan Parish who are on the electoral roll. The question in the ballot was “Do you support the proposed purchase of part of Acharossan Forest by the Kilfinan Community?”.
There were 392 responses to the 622 ballot papers distributed. This represents a 64% return rate. The results of the ballot were: 297 voted “Yes” (76% of the vote cast) and 94 voted “No” (24% of the vote cast), demonstrating strong community support for the project.
2.5.8 This report The community animateurs and other members of the community have provided a great deal of assistance in making available the necessary background data required to inform this report. This has included carrying out an audit of locally available skills, and a providing a wide range of information about the local context.
2.5.8.1 Interim report presentation In December 2007, the consultants presented an interim report to the local community and solicited feedback on the development options identified in previous community consultation rounds. Participants were also invited to indicate which of the development options they considered to be high priority, and which they considered to be low priority. For the purpose of ranking, a high priority vote scored 1 and a low priority vote scoring -1. A total of 27 adults and 5 children took part in the consultation.
The priorities thus identified were as follows:
Development Option Ranking score Crofts and Housing 16 Environmental improvements 11 Paths / tracks 11 Education / skills / learning 11 Firewood 9 Renewable energy 9 Woodland management 9 Playpark 6 Wildlife tourism 6 Agricultural products 2 Bunkhouse 2 Milled / wood products 2 Charcoal -6 Venison and game -9
The priorities and comments received are detailed in Appendix E.
2.5.8.2 Community Skills Audit Summary results of the audit, conducted throughout November 2007, are provided in Appendix F. A total of 46 returns were made. It is clear from these findings that there is a wealth of skills available from within the community, coupled with a willingness of those who do not have the relevant skills / experience to train in most areas. Of particular interest with regard to this project are the following findings:
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Area No. of people No. of people who would with experience like to gain experience Woodland management 5 5 Invasive plant control 8 4 Landscaping 13 6 Wood processing 6 4 House building 11 3 House design 5 1 Book-keeping 3 2 Fundraising 10 2 Project management 7 7 Keyboard skills / web-site 8 1 Producing publicity materials 5 4 Arts 16 1 Adult education 15 1 Pre-school age education 4 1 Primary school age education 8 1 12 – 18 years education 4 1 Special needs education 7 1
It is clear that there is a significant wealth of local experience in the arts, in adult education and in landscaping. This would tend to indicate that consideration should be given to giving arts-related activities some degree of priority, as should educational activities and those involving landscaping skills. The extent of fundraising experience already in the community could stand the community in good stead as the project develops.
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3. THE WAY FORWARD
3.1 COMMUNITY CONTROL – POTENTIAL OUTCOMES Community control over Acharossan Forest would potentially result in the aims and objectives of KCFC being met and could provide a range of local and wider public benefits including: • The forest acting as a catalyst for a more healthy, secure and diversified community • Enhanced recreational facilities • Greater environmental biodiversity benefiting wildlife, local people and visitors • Creation of renewable energy opportunities • Establishment of housing and crofts – housing with forestry & agricultural land • Provision of opportunities for employment and local income generation • Provide opportunities for training and skills development • Become an educational resource
3.2 OPTIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY The extent to which these potential benefits can be implemented and maximised depends to a large degree on the type of land tenure that the community decide to pursue in relation to Acharossan Forest.
3.2.1 Tenure options KCFC have a range of options open to them to gain control over the management of Acharossan Forest and to achieve their organisational objectives.
3.2.1.1 Acquisition The acquisition of land is the principal option open to the community and perhaps the one which has the greatest potential rewards as well as risks.
Pros • KCFC would have security of tenure over the asset. • Flexibility to utilise the land asset according to the current and future requirements of the community. This flexibility is of course usually tempered by conditions attached to offers of grant given to purchase the land as well as legislation, planning controls etc. • Income stream potentially available from sale of timber. Once the forest is purchased, the community could utilise the proceeds from the sale of timber to invest in other non-income generating aspects of the project. Revenue from timber sales could be a useful source of finance for the community contribution when putting together funding proposals. • Potential for the future lease or sale of land to 3rd parties to achieve objectives. This would be subject to the agreement of funding organisations and would be dependant upon the sale / lease of land contributing towards the community achieving its objectives.
Cons • The initial purchase of the capital asset is expensive requires considerable fundraising. • Any funds raised are then tied up and can’t be used. It would be theoretically possible for a community to borrow money using the community owned land as security but this is generally advised against. • The ownership of land is a considerable commitment for a community to take on and entails responsibilities – for the land itself, as well as for any staff employed and for visitors to the property. Taking out insurance can mitigate against any risks to 3rd parties.
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• Community volunteering commitment. The establishment and running of a community land initiative by KCFC entails considerable commitment in terms of volunteer time and energy. This requirement is also ongoing, and requires the community group to consider issues of succession (ensuring that new directors and office bearers are brought on-board), maintaining membership levels, and finding ways of keeping the community informed, participating and being involved in the operation and management of the KCFC.
3.2.1.2 Lease This option is to lease areas of the forest in order to carry out specific activities.
Pros • Less funds required up-front. As KCFC would not be purchasing the land, then a capital sum would not normally need to be paid. • Any funds raised by the community itself could be utilised in the development of the project itself rather than on purchase costs. • Less onerous in terms of responsibilities
Cons • The principal problem with this option is that, under the terms of the Forestry Acts, FCS can not lease land to 3rd parties for forestry purposes – i.e. the community could not lease areas of forest in order to carry out woodland management activities. This would severely restrict KCFC’c ability to achieve its objectives. • Given the restrictions in terms of land use under the terms of the lease, this option gives KCFC a more limited ability to achieve its organisational objectives. • An ongoing annual rent payment would be required. Whilst it is possible to source funds to purchase a capital asset, it would be difficult for KCFC to find funding for annual rental payments • Use of the property would be restricted to the terms of the lease. It is likely that any lease would seek to limit the use of the land. • Under Scots Law, it is not possible to lease land for the purposes of the construction of housing – one of the potential future uses of the land • A lease is a depreciating asset. At the end of the term of the lease, then the community would have no physical asset, despite any investment made by them. • Reduced security of tenure. At the end of a lease, it may not be possible for the tenant (KCFC) to renew the lease. In addition, if any of the terms of the lease were broken, then the landlord (FCS) would have recourse to terminate the lease.
3.2.1.3 Management agreement Several community woodland groups in Scotland have entered into management agreements with FCS regarding the management of FCS forests. These agreements usually allow for the community to be involved in aspects of woodland management (e.g. recreation), or can even give the community the option to carry out harvesting operations. This is the least onerous of the options open to the community.
Pros • Low risk • Little or no funds required up-front • Funds raised can be utilised on project development rather than acquisition
Cons • Use of property restricted to terms of agreement. • Given the limited scope of these agreements, there would be a limited ability for KCFC to realise its organisational objectives
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• No security of tenure – usually FCS can opt to terminate these agreements immediately. • It is likely that this option would have little financial impact on local economy • Limited funding is available to groups that wish to carry out activities that involve improvement of the land asset if they do not have any security of tenure over that asset. • Due to the time and management input required by FCS on on ongoing basis, this would not be the preferred option of FCS
3.2.2 Scale of acquisition It is theoretically feasible for KCFC to look to a phased purchase of Acharossan Forest, and this is certainly an option that the earlier Draft Stage Report identified and recommended. This option would involve the initial purchase of a smaller area of land, followed in a number of years by the remainder of the 447 ha (1105 acres) of Acharossan Forest. The advantages of both approaches are set out below:
3.2.2.1 Single purchase This would involve the purchase by KCFC of the full 447 ha (1105 acres) of Acharossan Forest in one transaction. The benefits of this approach are: • A single acquisition would include the more commercially attractive northern area of Acharossan Forest. This area could provide a vital future income stream for KCFC through the sale of timber and could thus help to fund the other, non-income generating aspects of the project. In particular, this income stream could subsidise the management of the southern area of Acharossan Forest which, due to its poorer silvicultural quality, lack of management and poor soils is not economically viable. A larger forest area is therefore key to the future financial sustainability of the project and would allow KCFC to manage the forest for local and wider benefit without the ongoing need for additional public funding support. • Improved access options. Given that there is currently no access into Acharossan Forest (outlined in Section 4), the purchase of the whole forest opens up the practical possibility of gaining access to the forest from the FCS holding to the north. Conversely a smaller initial purchase area would entail the potential doubling in length of the access “link” road through the FCS holding. Given that FCS has stated that it is not in a position to contribute financially towards the construction of the “link” road, it is questionable whether public funders would accept the additional financial cost of a longer access road. • Greater range of projects possible from the start. • There is considerable political and agency support just now for community purchase of land and assets. This makes the purchase process considerably easier. However it is not certain how a future changing political climate might affect this support. • BIG Lottery and Highlands & Islands Enterprise funding for land acquisition is currently available. However this situation may not continue. • Only one acquisition and funding process is required. As the acquisition process is complex and time consuming, it is more efficient in terms of volunteer time and effort if it is concentrated in one purchase.
3.2.2.2 Phased acquisition This option is based on the premise that a phased purchase will allow the community to develop skills and experience in a smaller, less onerously large area of land. When the community considers that it has developed sufficient confidence to take on ownership of the remainder of the forest, then a second acquisition process could be undertaken.
3.3 ADVISED COURSE OF ACTION It is advised that, assuming that community is willing to take on the responsibility of
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ownership, that the following would be the best course of action for KCFC:
• Purchase of Acharossan Forest would be the best option to allow community to realise its objectives and give it the necessary flexibility to meet changing circumstances and provide the greatest public benefit. • Purchase of the forest should be undertaken in one phase (for practical management, access and financial reasons). • Immediate attention should be given to raising sufficient finances to allow the necessary infrastructure and access works to allow for efficient and effective woodland management and for the amenity, recreation and environmental improvements to take place.
3.4 N ATIONAL FOREST LAND SCHEME The opportunity for KCFC to acquire Acharossan Forest has been made possible through the Forestry Commission Scotland’s National Forest Land Scheme (NFLS). For communities to be successful in their bid to acquire National Forest Land, they must satisfy the Scheme’s eight eligibility criteria as part of the application process: • The community organisation must be an eligible community body. • The land must not be excluded land (not relevant). • The community must have a substantial connection with the land. • The community must have the capacity to manage the land. • The proposal must have community support. • The proposal must be consistent with the principles of sustainable development. • The proposal must be in the public interest. • The proposal should not be significantly detrimental to the management of the National Forest Estate.
An initial assessment would seem to indicate that KCFC is able to fulfil all these criteria. The earlier Feasibility Study identified community capacity as of concern and a potential block to the community purchasing the whole of the forest. However, the Community Skills Audit carried out as part of this report identifies a healthy depth and range of skills and experience within the community which, given appropriate support from funders and involved organisations, should allow the community to competently manage the forest should it choose to do so. This would be aided by up-front pump-priming for the construction of a full network of access roads to allow the flexibility required to manage the forest efficiently and effectively.
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4. ACHAROSSAN FOREST
The following section is largely compiled from information and statistics drawn from two existing documents – the Acharossan Community Forest Management Plan (June 2007), (Ref 5) herein referred to as “the Management Plan” and the Draft First Stage Report for Fyne Homes (Ref 7), along with discussions with KCFC, Kilfinan Community Council, FCS and other involved individuals and bodies.
4.1 LOCATION KCFC proposes to purchase 447 hectares of Acharossan Forest comprising land drained by the Allt Mor and Allt Tighnabruaich burns, immediately north west of Tighnabruaich village. A small area at the west of the forest falls within the Kyles of Bute National Scenic Area (NSA).
4.2 FOREST STRUCTURE According to FCS’s sub-compartment database for Acharossan, nearly two thirds of the Forest comprises productive high forest with the balance being open ground. The area of forest to the south-west of the Allt Mor burn as far the reservoir was planted in 1963 with a mixture of conifer species, mostly Sitka spruce and Lodgepole pine, plus some Corsican pine, Western hemlock and other conifers. Much of this land is poorly drained and trees are now beginning to blow over. Almost half of the stocked area of the forest was planted between 1975 and 1977, mostly with Sitka spruce. This later, more extensive planting was on land ranging from quite fertile soils at lower levels to thin, peaty soils on the exposed moorland of higher ground. Tree growth is relatively poor on the high moorland and there are areas where the trees have either failed to grow at all or are in “check” due to nutrient deficiency and waterlogging. The combination of poor quality stands and designed open ground has resulted in extensive areas without trees in the interior of the forest.
Acharossan Forest - Age Class Distribution (by planting year)
Broadleaves 3%
Open ground 1975 to 77 37% 47%
1981 1963 1% 12%
Source: FCS Aberfoyle Forest District, 2006
Much of the ground adjacent to Tighnabruaich and along the lower reaches of the major burns supports remnants of native oak and wych elm woodland, some of which is recorded as “ancient” woodland, plus other broadleaved species including hazel, downy birch, hawthorn, holly, ash and various types of willow. The more accessible woodland has been managed in the past, with oak woodland intensively managed to produce charcoal and tanbark. Evidence of past management also exists in the form of disused enclosure dykes, bloomeries and platforms where charcoal was made. Localised areas of younger broadleaved woodland, mainly of birch and eared willow, have become established in and around the main blocks of conifers.
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Acharossan Forest - Species Distribution Open Ground 37%
Sitka spruce Mixedbroadleaves 46% 1%
Japanese larch 1% Lodgepole pine Birch Other conifers 11% Corsican pine 2% 1% 1% Source : FCS Aberfoyle Forest District, 2006
The Management Plan divides Acharossan Forest into six main stand types, summarised in the table below. The location and extent of these stand types is shown Map 1, below. Please note that not all the fields within the table can be populated due to lack of available information.
Stand Description Location Yield Class Area Sawlogs Type and (Ha) (tonnes) Year Planted 1 Large blocks of Northern YC 12-16 95 26,000 semi-mature, area of well grown forest 1975 – 77 spruce Large blocks of Various YC 12-16 14,000 semi-mature, blocks in well grown south and spruce east 2 Fragmented Throughout YC 12 -18 70 blocks of semi- forest mature, well grown spruce 3 Poorly grown Throughout < YC 10 110 Negligible and checked Forest spruce 1975 - 77 4 Lodgepole pine North west 15 Negligible of forest 1975 - 77 5 Sitka spruce / Western N/A 65 8,000 Lodgepole pine edge of Alt mixtures Mhor 1963 6 Native Southern N/A 20 N/A woodland edge N/A Totals 375 48,000
Table. Acharossan Forest Stand Types Source: Acharossan Community Forest Management Plan
(Yield Class is defined as the potential productive capacity of a forest, measured in cubic metres per hectare per year. Yield classes are divided into steps of two cubic metres per hectare. Thus a stand of yield class 14 has a maximum mean annual increment of 14m3 per hectare per year.)
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Map 2. Acharossan Forest Stand Types
4.3 MANAGEMENT CONSTRAINTS The part of Acharossan Forest which KCFC proposes to acquire is a commercial scale upland and mostly even-aged forest. It is of relatively poor quality in terms of soils, accessibility and propensity to windthrow; on account of which the forest has received little or
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no active management input by Forestry Commission since planting of the existing crops. As a result it has remained unthinned and in places is heavily infested with rhododendron.
4.3.1 Windthrow An indication of the general susceptibility to windthrow of the growing stock at Acharossan is given by the “Windthrow Hazard Classification” (WHC) indices for the Forest which are derived from an assessment of four site factors – location, elevation, exposure and soil type. Scores range from 1 to 6 where 6 defines the greatest risk. The distribution of scores for Acharossan (as provided by FCS Aberfoyle Forest District) is illustrated in the table below, from which it can be seen that wind is a serious limiting factor in the silvicultural management of much of the forest. Over 60% of the forested area is classified as being WHC 4 or 5.
Windthrow Hazard Proportion of forested area Classification of Acharossan Forest WHC 1 0% WHC 2 13% WHC 3 24% WHC 4 26% WHC 5 37% WHC 6 0%
Table. Acharossan Forest - Distribution of Windthrow Hazard Source: FCS Aberfoyle Forest District, 2006
The “critical height” for WHC 5 in unthinned woodlands is typically 16 metres at which height the onset of endemic windthrow can be expected to become a serious issue over a large area.
There are already areas of windblown crops appearing in the forest and these are likely to expand, limiting silvicultural options, making harvesting and extraction considerably more difficult and expensive and significantly reducing timber values. The “thinning window” has been missed and thus the whole of Acharossan Forest remains unthinned with very limited opportunities now remaining to allow thinning or the institution of continuous cover silviculture in the current rotation of crops due to windthrow risk.
4.3.2 Rhododendron Infestation Rhododendron ponticum has filled most of the open ground to the west of the lower Allt Mor, below the level of the reservoir. It also dominates the shrub layer of much of the native woodland. Individual bushes are present elsewhere, including on the upland open ground. Rhododendron has a strongly negative effect on biodiversity and amenity, despite its attractive flowers in early summer. A concentrated programme of rhododendron control is required; otherwise it will continue to dominate the open ground rides and will spread rapidly into any adjacent felled coupes.
4.3.3 Other constraints The reservoir is owned by Scottish Water and would not be included in any arrangement with the Forestry Commission Scotland. An 11KV power-line crosses the southern end of the forest just above the village.
4.4 ACCESS
4.4.1 External Access Acharossan Forest currently has no existing management access into the forest from any public road. This is a fundamental issue that needs to be resolved and a solution identified prior to any community purchase of the Forest.
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At the time of planting, a right of access was reserved to allow access to the southern area of Acharossan Forest from the public road in Tighnabruaich through a 3rd party’s land. However, according to FCS Land Agents, this right has lapsed through non-usage and the former line of access can not therefore be used for any future access to the forest.
It may be possible for KCFC to obtain a right of access into Acharossan Forest from a new road which would be built for the proposed housing development site at the southern edge of the forest. However, the purchase of this site by Fyne Homes from FCS may not proceed as originally envisaged. Any housing development would be dependant upon a right of access being granted over a field owned by a 3rd party. Thus, whilst this access option may well provide useful light management and recreational access in the future, KCFC can not rely on this and the organisation would be advised to proceed with the acquisition of the forest on the assumption that alternative access solutions will need to be put in place.
The forest has a short road frontage onto the C-class single track road just west of Tighnabruaich Primary School from which it may be possible to create a recreational / pedestrian / light management access road (subject to Roads Authority approval). Argyll and Bute Council Roads Authority has however stated that it would not permit any timber extraction access to be created from any of the public roads in Tighnabruaich. Thus timber extraction from any part of the forest would have to be carried out across neighbouring land – potentially by constructing an access road through the remaining FCS forest to the north.
FCS has agreed in principle to grant KCFC a formal legal right of access from FCS management roads within their forests to the north of Acharossan Forest. However, in order for the community to be able to utilise this proposed right, KCFC would need to construct a road through FCS land at its own expense - from the existing FCS road to the boundary of the proposed community land. The route for this “link road” has not been surveyed and thus its construction cost can not easily be estimated. However, FCS estimates that the link road will need to be up to 1,000m long. The Acharossan Community Forest Management Plan estimates construction cost for a Class A forest road suitable for extraction at £40/m. FCS has indicated that it may be able to share part of this cost as it may need to extend its forest road network to allow its own harvesting operations. However, no budget has been identified for this by FCS, and according to FCS Forest Design Plans, there is no intention to carry out harvesting in the remainder of the forest for approximately 10 years. As such, it is likely that, if the community wishes to take advantage of any legal right of access, it will need to bear the full cost of constructing the link road.
In addition, Craigfeochan Burn, to the east of the existing FCS access road, will need to be crossed. Without a full survey it is not possible to estimate the cost of a bridge and associated works, but it can be assumed that this will entail additional costs of anything up to £40k.
4.4.2 Internal Access There are currently no management access roads or tracks within Acharossan Forest. The Acharossan Community Forest Management Plan identifies the need for extensive internal management access roads to enable woodland management operations and timber extraction. Proposals include approximately 2,000m of internal Class A roads, and a further 5,600m of tractor/trailer roads. However, in order to allow management and extraction access to the southern half of the forest (as detailed in Section 4.5 below), the proposed road network would need to be extended by a further 2,000m of Class A roads. If considerable lengths of roads are built at one time, construction costs are estimated at £40/m for Class A roads and £20/m for tractor / trailer roads. Because of the landscape sensitivity of the forest, new roads will require careful planning and construction, particularly on higher ground.
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4.4.3 Recreation Access The Kilfinan Path is an ancient right of way that runs through the forest. However, it has not been maintained and has become obscured with rhododendron invasion, and windblown trees. There are currently no other recreational opportunities in the forest.
4.5 FORECASTED TIMBER OUTPUT The Management Plan did not attempt to determine the extent and timing of individual felling coupes, as this would need to be worked up as part of a ‘forest design plan’ with input from involved members of the community. FCS’ outline plans for harvesting the project area, provided by FCS as part of the First Stage Report for Fyne Homes envisaged felling starting in 2018 and continuing until 2032 (see Map 2 below).
2018
2036
2028 2021 2100
2032 2031 2019
2021
Map 3. Acharossan Forest: Approximate Felling Plan 2018 - 2100 Source: FCS Aberfoyle Forest District, 2006
The Draft First Stage Report suggested a total harvest of 96,661 tonnes of sawlogs and 19,111 tonnes of roundwood based upon outline compartment information supplied by FCS. However this estimate was obtained through carrying out a paper exercise and did not include ground survey information which would have identified a number of limiting factors. These include the fact that the proposed felling dates put forward by FCS would take place a considerable period after the optimal felling age of 40 – 45 years had passed – e.g. the 1963
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stands are not due for felling until 2021, when they would be 58 years old. Given that much of the forest has been identified by FCS as high risk for windthrow, there is a likelihood of considerable windthrow occurring in the forest by then. Indeed, as windthrow is already starting to be a problem in the forest, it is reasonable to assume that the forecasted timber output outlined by in the Draft First Stage Report is not achievable.
The Management Plan identifies a considerably lower timber output, based upon the more realistic need to commence harvesting operations in the immediate future prior to the onset of widespread windthrow. The Management Plan does not set out forecasted volumes / tonnage of roundwood and sawlogs for the whole forest but does indicate the output of sawlogs from the different compartments. It is expected that 125ha (Stand Types 3 and 4) will produce little in the way of sawlogs due to the poor form of the trees and inappropriate species planted for the soil type. However there are areas of well grown spruce in the north of the forest along with other more isolated stands elsewhere in the forest which would produce approximately 45,000 tonnes of sawlogs in the current crop rotation. In addition approximately 3,000 tonnes of sawlogs are forecast from other species along with considerable quantities of roundwood – particularly in the poorer quality soils to the south and east of the forest.
4.6 WOODLAND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS The Forest Management Plan divides the forest into 5 different compartments for the purposes of woodland management, as follows:
Compartment Description 1 Mostly well-grown timber suitable for commercial harvesting 2 1963 plantings 3 Mostly fragmented woodland of variable timber quality 4 Native woodland 5 Open ground
The compartment areas as well as the possible line of access roads, are indicated on the Acharossan Forest Management Compartments Map 3 (see following page). The full Management Options from the Plan are set out in Appendix G.
The Management Plan suggests that Compartment 1 is managed in a predominately conventional commercial manner. Compartment 4 (Native Woodland) is very small in scale and Compartment 5 (Open Ground) does not pose undue difficulties in terms of management.
However Compartments 2 and 3 are made up of more isolated and poorer quality commercial plantations in the south and east of the forest. The Plan suggests that it would be problematic and not cost-effective to undertake conventional woodland management in these compartments and suggests an alternative community-based approach for Compartment 3 and perhaps Compartments 2a and 2b that would involve:
• motor-manual felling (i.e. felling using chainsaws rather than harvesting machinery). • extraction using relatively small-scale extraction machinery, either specialised mini- forwarders or tractor/trailers with a timber grab. • the use of sky-line winches for extraction from difficult-to-access slopes. • access roads capable of taking a tractor and loaded trailer but not articulated road vehicles. • an internal community market for woodfuel or sawlog produce. • skilled labour capable of harvesting and utilising the timber. • the availability of skills needed to raise the capital for machinery and the funds needed for ongoing operations.
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Map 4. Acharossan Forest Management Plan Compartments
Whilst many elements of the above are appropriate and potentially feasible, the timber utilisation options identified in Section 5.1 of this report indicate that the small-scale nature of the local markets are not sufficiently large or developed to absorb the potentially large quantities of sawlogs, and particularly low grade timber which is likely to be produced in
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Compartments 2 and 3 of the forest. Some stands within these compartments require both thinning and felling in the near future before windthrow becomes widespread. Since the Management Plan was produced it has also become apparent that the external access options open to the community are considerably more restricted than first envisaged – thus limiting the available management options still further. This report suggests that a different approach to the proposals in the Management Plan would need to be taken by KCFC to resolve the management issues for Compartments 2 and 3.
The management options for Compartments 2 and 3 include: • Allow forest to grow to greater maturity This is the option currently proposed by FCS. However, the Woodland Management Plan and FCS’ own windthrow analysis suggests that this option would result in widespread windthrow, leaving a considerable effect on the landscape and a very expensive - and potentially intractable - legacy to rectify. • Fell to recycle The scale of the forest means that this option is not feasible for landscape, aesthetic, fire hazard and access reasons. Given the fact that this option would mean that there would be no income from timber sales it is also prohibitively expensive. • Carry out more continual, labour intensive forms of management. This would include the community-based management proposed in the Management Plan. However, as detailed above, there is currently not a sufficiently large local / community market to absorb the output from this section of the forest. In addition, the lack of any existing extraction access would prohibit the sale of produce to wider markets. • Conventional commercial management. If access is obtained from the FCS forest to the north, this option is the most practical and cost-effective for the northern half of the forest. However, in the southern and eastern compartments, the better stands of trees containing the more valuable sawlogs are scattered making a conventional harvesting approach economically unviable. • A mixture of the above.
Analysis of current markets combined with the uncertainly of future markets for sawlogs, roundwood, woodchip etc. would tend to indicate that the community should maintain as great a degree of flexibility as possible by being able to adopt any or all of the above management options for different parts of the forest. In particular, in order to cope with the volumes of low grade timber from Compartments 2 and 3, some conventional commercial management would need to be carried out. A fundamental aspect of this would be the necessity for upfront investment to create a network of extraction roads and tracks throughout the forest, including a Class A road linking the south of the forest to the existing roading network in the FCS forest to the north of Acharossan Forest. This would enable the extraction of timber and / or wood products and would provide the flexibility required to manage the southern area of the forest effectively.
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All abilities trail
Multi-use track
Link access road to FCS
Kilfinan right of way
Wildlife Hide
Forestry yard & sheds
Car park
Boundary of Potential Development Area (PDA)
Fyne Homes Car park & housing site entrance
Map 5. Acharossan Forest: Compartment map & indicative development
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4.7 WOODLAND MANAGEMENT DELIVERY If pump-priming funding can be accessed by the community to carry out the necessary infrastructure works at the start of the project, this would allow the community to approach the woodland management of the whole forest in a more strategic way. This could involve: • The felling and extraction of all areas of the forest on a more commercial basis. The opening up of this as an option would have a range of benefits including allowing for the use of heavy machinery - in itself an important consideration in terms of the potential hazard of harvesting windblown timber • The sale of standing timber • Leasing of blocks of forest to local individuals, businesses or organisations, (subject to their management according to an agreed Management Plan). • The development and exportation of wood products from the forest (e.g. sawn timber, woodchip etc)
Such an approach would, of course, not preclude the community carrying out the small-scale forest management activities which are envisaged in the Management Plan. Indeed, improved access would open up greater opportunities for small-scale innovative management techniques and could serve to facilitate the development of other economic activities
Delivery structures are further investigated in Section 7.1 of this report.
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5. VALUATION
Under the terms of the NFLS and on the joint instruction of FCS and KCFC, a valuation of Acharossan Forest, dated 3rd March 2008 was carried out by the District Valuer. The District Valuer put the total value of the 447ha (1105 acres) of Acharossan Forest at £500,000. This includes an estimated figure of £10,000 for 3 small areas of land over which there is some doubt as to the FCS title.
This valuation is valid for a period of 6 months.
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6. APPRAISAL OF DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
6.1 INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES
6.1.1 Firewood Context A recently produced report provides an overview of the present firewood market in Scotland (Ref 8). Summary findings from this report are presented here as an indication of the national context.
Overall, the firewood market is growing in Scotland, and, particularly in areas which are not on the mains gas grid, increasing numbers of people are buying multi-fuel and wood burning stoves as the prices of fossil fuel alternatives continue to rise. Multi-fuel stoves can provide room heating and full house heating if they are fitted with a boiler attached to a central heating system.
The pricing for hardwood and softwood logs does not always truly reflect the difference in performance. Well seasoned softwood logs burn equally as well as hardwoods, but 50% more volume is required for the same heat output. Customers appreciate firewood which is ready to burn, chopped into useable lengths and clean of contaminants.
Firewood is a recognised commodity product, with relatively high production costs, taking into account the cost of equipment, transportation, labour and raw timber. The current delivered price for chopped softwood firewood is in the region of £50 - £70 / tonne. Given that the average price for chopped hardwood is in the region of £60 - £90 / tonne, a fair price / tonne for softwood firewood would be in the region of £50 - £60 / tonne. It is customary for firewood suppliers to make a small additional charge (in the region of £5 / tonne) for the delivery of firewood outwith a certain radius, 10 miles for instance.
Firewood requires a degree of management to ensure optimum performance. It needs to be dried down to around 20% moisture (water) content, otherwise it will not burn as warmly or as well as it can do. Firewood suppliers can ensure that their firewood is ready to burn, or almost ready to burn by seasoning it before delivery. There are a number of ways of carrying out the seasoning – including: stacking under open cover, allowing air to circulate; accelerated drying under polytunnels in an open sunny location, with a good through draught; or kiln drying.
Some firewood users are familiar with what needs to be done to manage their stock of wood once it has been delivered, while others, who have more limited or no prior experience of using wood as a fuel, do not. Advice on the storage and stacking of firewood prior to use, therefore, can be a valuable element of the firewood supply service offer.
There are few firewood suppliers operating in the immediate area, and, although a local individual did supply a limited amount of firewood in the locality a number of years ago, no firewood suppliers are currently based within a 20 mile radius of Tighnabruaich.
Opportunity Acharossan Forest has an extensive supply of windthrown and standing timber which is only really suitable for use as firewood. This is important for a firewood business, as a reliable source of firewood is key to ensuring the development of a customer base, and to ensuring that all customer orders can be promptly fulfilled.
All of this potential firewood resource comes from softwood species, so the observations made above regarding softwood pricing apply. Any of the options for seasoning outlined above could be considered. If a ready supply of seasoned wood is required in relatively
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short order (i.e. days or months rather than years), then a kiln or polytunnel could be considered. If a kiln is to be established for the drying of milled timber, it may be possible to envisage kiln drying at least a proportion of the firewood and, potentially, kindling. For quick drying over the summer, a polytunnel situated in an open location should be considered. Otherwise, bulk drying, under cover with good air flow should suffice for the majority of firewood, particularly if it is possible to schedule this one or two years in advance of delivery.
KCFC would have an opportunity to supply well seasoned, chopped softwood firewood cut to lengths required by customers. There is evidence that an ample local market could be developed for firewood within a 25 mile radius of Tighnabruaich, both among local people who already have multi-fuel or wood burning stoves , and among those who may install wood or multi-fuel burning stoves in the future if they know that there is a reliable local source of fuel.
Research has shown that customers appreciate good service and advice from firewood suppliers. KCFC would be in a good position to either provide this service directly, or to act as a supplier of firewood timber to a local firewood supply business.
To assess current local market potential, it is necessary to have knowledge of the form of house, living room and water heating which is used by local people. This information is not currently available, but a number of assumptions can be made. Assuming that, of the 450 private houses in the area 10% of these have open fires, wood burning or multi-fuel stoves. Some of these 45 households are likely to only use wood for burning in an open fire, on an occasional basis, while others use (or could use) wood for the majority of their room, house and water heating requirements. Usage could, therefore vary from less than 1 tonne / annum to in the region of 10 tonnes / annum. As an initial estimate, an average annual firewood usage of 3 tonnes per household would yield an initial market size in the region of 135 tonnes (£8,100 annual income). In the light of experience elsewhere in Scotland, this is not unreasonable. However, there is good potential to expand the local firewood market, once a reliable supply of quality, seasoned firewood can be guaranteed.
Many of the firewood suppliers in Scotland do so as a part time element of their operation, at levels around or below those which are likely in the Tighnabruaich area, and a part time firewood operation would appear to be the most appropriate way forward, at least in the early stages, for the community in this case.
Requirements and estimated costs Log splitter £15,000 Storage for drying – kiln - £10,000, polytunnel - £1,500 and / or covered space open to good air flow - £2,500 Trailer £2,500 or open backed truck for deliveries - £5,000 Purchase of raw timber @ £15 / tonne (delivered to sawmill) Marketing and promotion - £100 / annum
Benefits • “Renewable” fuel – a secure supply of firewood could encourage a greater local uptake of wood-burning stoves. • Constructive usage of a plentiful resource in forest, which otherwise would have little value, and which in part is currently obstructing paths and tracks. • Job opportunity – 0.4 FTE
Funding SRDP, proceeds from standing timber sales
Implementation Options
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• KCFC carrying out directly as part of their commercial arm (examples elsewhere include Dunnet Forestry Trust) • KCFC selling timber to an independent firewood supplier, and leasing premises / equipment • KCFC selling timber to an independent firewood supplier (Examples elsewhere include Knoydart Forest Trust where standing timber is sold for a local firewood supplier to harvest and convert)
6.1.2 Wood products Context The context for the establishment of a sawmill facility at Acharossan is best exemplified and guided by the experiences of operational sawmills which are to a greater or lesser extent comparable with the activities which would be considered in Acharossan.
NSCFT North Sutherland Community Forestry Trust (NSCFT) has been running a community sawmill for almost a year. Funding for the initiative was secured from Fresh Futures, Future Builder, Highland Council and the local enterprise company.
The sawmill produces planks using softwoods acquired from a contractor. NSCFT is also trying to get into the local fencing market, but has not succeeded as yet. Wherever possible, the organisation tries to source 24” diameter Sitka spruce logs which are straight and not tapered, and it considers that logs need to be more than 10” in order to be economic. The cut lengths produced by the sawmill are not stress tested – for that appropriately trained personnel and equipment is required - but the local market is accepting the timber on the basis of visual quality inspection, and there have been no quality issues to date.
A sawmiller is employed directly by NSCFT, but due to a number of factors, including the sourcing of material and the time required to maintain and repair machinery which has broken down, the organisation is struggling to maintain this position. The sawmiller is a practical operative, and the management, financial, forward planning, and development aspects of the business are carried out, on a voluntary basis, by the organisation’s directors.
The organisation has invested in a 48” band saw, a re-saw which can cut timber down to 2x2s, a pressure treatment plant, a tractor, forklift and pickup van. All this equipment is second hand. All the cut timber is pressure treated using Tanalin. The sawmill operation is housed in buildings which NSCFT purchased several years ago with funds obtained from the Community Land Unit.
In addition to the sawyer, who is paid an annual salary of £17,000, NSCFT engages a contractor on a casual basis to ensure two man safe working practice when carrying out potentially hazardous operations such as sawing or chipping. This individual is paid £10 / hour. Occasionally a director will act, unpaid, as the second man instead.
As the sawmill operation is being carried out by a Company Limited by Guarantee with charitable status, it is exempt from paying rates, which would otherwise be in the region of £10,000 per year.
On paper, the financials of the operation should be such that there is a 25% return on a £750 (24 tonne) load, if the load can be turned round into product worth £2,800 in a fortnight. Fortnightly costs, including wages, electricity, depreciation are in the region of £1,400. When the opportunity arises, the sawmill takes on sub-contracts for milling at £25 to £30 / hour.
The directors appreciate that this business would not have been viable had it not received grant funding. Now that it is operational, it has become clear that the sawmill is a business in
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its own right, and the draw on the directors’ time on sawmill business has grown significantly during the course of operation.
Cowal Sawmill The nearest sawmill to Kilfinan Parish is the Cowal Sawmill at Strachur. This mill supplies posts and boards and employs 7 people. It appears to be economically fragile – margins have been publicly reported as being very tight, and operational losses have been reported to have been covered by the owner. The mill supplies some timber locally, along with a range of accessories, but the mainstay of its business is a contract with Taylor Maxwell, the largest user of timber in the UK.
Other commercial sawmill Elsewhere in the country, another commercial softwood mill, which is considered by the manager to be the smallest viable commercial sawmill in Scotland, employs 9 people, 3 in administration / management and 6 in operations. This mill turns over in excess of £0.5 million / year, from 3,500 tonnes round timber. The mill supplies primarily fencing materials and accessories. It also sells sawdust and chipped waste timber. Timber is treated with AC500 and is air-dried. In common with the Cowal sawmill, this mill also has a contract with merchants.
Local situation More locally, until a few years ago, there was a sawmill at Portavadie. This closed due to the sawmiller’s loss of premises and ill health rather than due to economic pressures. It was a successful enterprise, which sold milled timber and a range of timber products including gates, sheds, bridges and benches to the local market.
All the estates in the area at one time had a sawmill, but these have all closed down over the years, with some being converted into dwelling houses.
Many local people obtain their timber from Oban, Lochgilphead, Dunoon etc, and local builders buy in kits, mainly manufactured from Scandinavian and Eastern European material.
HSE Health and Safety considerations are critical in a potentially hazardous operation like this, and entail operational constraints and additional costs. It will be essential to ensure that any sawmill site and operations are strictly HSE compliant.
Opportunity Careful consideration will have to be given to development of a robust business plan for a sawmill. Sawn softwood is a relatively volatile and competitive market, and there is evidence that those (of all sizes of operation) who are currently operating in the market do so under somewhat challenging conditions. However, any local sawmill operation in Acharossan Forest would have ready access to an extensive supply of sawlogs from the forest, and there is a prospect of an emerging local market, initially for elements of the forest based housing, then later possibly for the forest croft housing and for the bunkhouse. Other local projects, yet to be identified, could also provide a future market for the timber.
Conceivably, a small sawmill of a comparable scale to that set up by NSCFT could be set up in the forest, to convert local round wood from the forest into sawn lengths, fencing posts etc. It would also be possible to consider producing value added products such as woodsheds, gates, bridges, construction timber, decking from the timber produced at the mill, and possibly to produce timber and kits for local house construction.
It is important to ensure that a local sawmill business would be able to pay its way in what is essentially a competitive market. Prior to making the decision to proceed with establishing a sawmill, it would be necessary to produce a fully researched business plan, which clarifies
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the local market potential, and identifies the capacity of the sawmill which would be required to fulfil local market requirements.
It is essential to note that the question of access – both in terms of in to the forest, and within the forest would need to be resolved prior to any development of a facility of this kind.
An alternative option, entailing a lower capital input and lower risk, would be for KCFC to contract in a local mobile sawmill contractor to mill timber and, once air dried, the timber could be used by KCFC’s within the forest (for buildings, footpaths, fencing etc) or be sold locally. It would be possible for KCFC to provide the timber required for the construction of any local housing development in this way.
Requirements and estimate costs Shed £30,000 A second hand band saw £10,000 A re-saw £10,000 Pressure treatment plant £40,000* Yard £2,000 Tractor with grab (second hand) £5,000 Forklift truck £5,000 Manpower
*Note: This assumes that KCFC would plan to treat timber. This cost would not be incurred if that were not to be the case – but KCFC would have to be sure that it would not be reducing the market for sawn timber unacceptably by doing this.
Funding SRDP, GCA, HIE and proceeds of standing timber sales
Benefits • Local source of milled timber; low mileage to point of usage • Economical usage of a local resource, which would otherwise be difficult to transport to market • Job opportunities – depending on volume of timber required by market; eventually potentially equivalent to 0.5 – 1.5 FTE
Implementation Options Community leases premises / yard to a private individual Community sub-contracts the sawmilling business to an individual Run by KCFC directly through a trading subsidiary. The trading subsidiary would need to lease the yard, shed and machinery from KCFC paying a market rental, and the subsidiary would need to pay a market price for the timber bought from KCFC.
6.1.3 Bunkhouse Context There is currently no budget “indoors” accommodation in the area. The only local budget accommodation is seasonal camping at Carry Farm and at Glendaruel Caravan Park, respectively 6.5km and 13km (4 and 8 miles) from Tighnabruaich.
There used to be an SYHA hostel in Tighnabruaich, which shut down in 2000. Based in one of the village’s large Victorian villas, it is considered by local people that the hostel was relatively well used when it was operational. It is likely that it was shut down, as has been the case with many traditional SYHA hostels over the years, due to high running and maintenance costs. There are no bunkhouses or hostels on the Cowal Peninsula or on Bute, and at present the nearest SYHA hostel to the area is at Inveraray, 69km (43 miles) distant,
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and the nearest independent bunkhouse accommodation to Kilfinan Parish is in Oban or Glasgow, both around 130km (80 miles) distant respectively.
The recently opened Cowal Way passes through Tighnabruaich. Information about accommodation for the users of the Way focuses on local bed and breakfast accommodation, and hotels. Long distance walks elsewhere in the country tend to provide a ready market for budget accommodation en route.
For cyclists, the Sustrans Route 99 traverses the Cowal Peninsula and passes through Tighnabruaich.
Opportunity The development of a sympathetically designed bunkhouse is likely to be a good complement to the accommodation which is currently available in the area. It would be advisable for KCFC to perform some checks to ensure that there would be no adverse impact on existing local accommodation providers.
It is possible to conceive of a bunkhouse, built of local timber, conveniently situated on the edge of Acharossan Forest adjacent to the village of Tighnabruaich. This could provide family friendly, year round accommodation for up to e.g. 20 people, and a number of facilities virtually “on the doorstep”. It could also include showers and washing facilities for other visitors to the area. The building could be heated using wood from the forest.
The facilities could be promoted to a range of different user groups, including walkers, cyclists, nature conservationists, those attending training sessions in the forests, families etc. This form of promotion of the bunkhouse could be complemented by membership of the Scottish Independent Hostels Association and its associated promotion.
Requirements and estimated costs An eco-friendly, efficient building with open public space, a drying room, small bedrooms, showers etc. - £350,000 Parking for cars - £5,000 Bike storage - £500 Marketing / web-site - £500 set up, and £500 marketing costs annually
Funding It would not be easy for the community to raise the funds necessary for this option, as for this type of development it could not receive any more funds from public sources than could a private individual.
Benefits • Broadening of the range of visitor opportunities in the area, encouraging people who are likely to buy their food locally, and to provide other forms of economic contribution to the area. • An additional visitor service provided in an environmentally friendly manner. • Usage of local timber in construction, and local wood for fuel. • Job opportunities – 1 FTE
Implementation options Run directly by KCFC KCFC lease the hostel to an independent business on long term lease KCFC obtain outline planning permission for a hostel and sell the serviced site.
There are several ways in which KCFC could implement this option. For example Knoydart Forest Trust runs its own hostel, which brings in a moderate income to the Foundation, while
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Kinlochleven Land Development Trust leases its hostel to an independent business on a long term lease. The latter option is a simpler means of obtaining income for the community, but it is not straightforward to raise the money to build a hostel in the first place.
6.1.4 Agricultural produce Context The Scottish Rural Development Programme is due to come on-stream during the course of 2008, and will run until 2013. This scheme envisages providing support to a wide range of traditional agricultural activities, the production of food products, and wider rural development activities. The emphasis will be on local production, quality, and environmentally friendly practice.
At the same time, a niche market is emerging for the “slow food” movement, which seeks to minimise the amount of processing, and which seeks to minimise the distance food is transported from the point of production to consumption.
Opportunities This opportunity is based on the assumption that some agricultural / horticultural activities will take place on the forest crofts. Given the location and size of the community, there is a limited, but nevertheless real, opportunity for local production of quality produce for local consumption, for example the supply of niche products to local shops, hotels and restaurants. Possibilities include vegetables, milk, cheese, meat, cultivated fungi, berries, eggs and fruit.
The production and local marketing of e.g. organic vegetables would not pose much in the way of logistical problems, assuming that Food Hygiene and Soil Association regulations for the organic production and handling of food could be adhered to. Similarly, a ready market could be envisaged for locally collected fungi when in season. It could be argued that, since the last chemical treatments which could have been applied in the forest would have been at the time of the latest plantings (in the 1970s), the forest soil is already organic.
However, careful consideration would have to be given to the implication of Food Hygiene regulations in the production of local dairy products. The centralisation of accredited processing facilities and the regulations are such that primary livestock produce would have to travel a considerable distance to be processed, which might make it uneconomic.
Requirements and estimated costs Land for agricultural activities
Funding SRDP
Benefits • Small scale economic opportunity for individuals • Reduction in food miles • Improve the quality and range of locally available foodstuffs
Implementation options These activities would be undertaken by individuals on forest croft land.
6.1.5 Wildlife tourism Context Wildlife is a growing tourism sector, with forest-based tourism featuring in the Scottish Forestry Strategy. Wildlife tourism covers a range of activities including wildlife viewing,
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finding out about nature, and how it is managed, and visiting and finding out about natural, archaeological and historical features in the landscape.
The area around Tighnabruaich is well suited to the development of wildlife tourism, with a range of habitat types, including shoreline, forest and wooded areas, open hill ground and great views. The area is home to a wide range of flora and fauna –including the iconic golden eagle, red and black grouse, red-throated divers and mammals including otters, red squirrels and deer. The coastal woodlands are Atlantic oakwoods with areas of Scots Pine, and the area is home to a wide range of coastal to grassland, woodland and heath wild flower species. Once sufficient facilities / destinations were put in place, the wildlife element of tourism could be fully integrated and developed in tandem with existing tourist promotion of the area.
The opportunity It would be possible to develop wildlife tourism in the area in tandem with the development of the forest. The track network (see Section 6.2) could incorporate nature trails, viewpoints, bird hides and interpretation, and it would be possible to promote all aspects of the wildlife / nature experience in the area as a whole.
Wildlife tourism visitors could act as a source of business for the bunkhouse and for other tourism service providers in the area. It is also possible that there would be an opportunity for a wildlife tour operator to set up and operate in the area and take visitors on guided walks or tours.
Requirements and estimated costs A track network in the forest and along the shoreline Signage and interpretation - £8,000 Promotional materials on the web and in leaflet form - £1,500 A number of hides (3) constructed in places where wildlife is known to frequent - £9,000
Benefits • Relatively low impact, sensitive addition to the facilities / opportunities for visitors. • Appropriate celebration of the natural features of the local area. • Opportunities for formal and informal education. • Job opportunities – 0.25 FTE direct (as an element of a wildlife tour operator / wildlife guide opportunity), and possibly help to secure other local jobs through visitor usage of other local facilities.
Implementation This option would probably be best suited to being pursued by a private individual who sets up their own business and uses the forest as well as other local land as bases for tourism. It is possibly the case that the forest would not be the best place locally to watch wildlife, but having a community forest on the doorstep could provide an engaging story – the regeneration of a natural forest habitat, community ownership bringing about sustainable living etc – and easy access.
6.1.6 Renewable energy Context As part of its response to climate change, the UK Government is currently heavily promoting the use of renewable energy technologies. New systems of various kinds using renewables are coming on-stream all the time.
There are number of wood-chip community heating schemes now in operation, and after some teething troubles, this type of distributed system is now starting to settle down as a relatively mature technology. Delivered wood-chip needs to be dried to a maximum of 35%
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moisture content for use in most systems. The nearest chip provider to Kilfinan, is Campbeltown-based Ewan Johnstone, who supplies wood-chip to the district heating scheme and community swimming pool in Lochgilphead. Although this business is not far from Kilfinan as the crow flies, transportation of wood chip to the area would be relatively expensive due to the need to either cross by ferry from Tarbert to Portavadie, or to drive round Loch Fyne via Inverary and Cairndow.
After a relatively slow start, pellet technology is starting to emerge in the market. Pellets are popular particularly for smaller systems, as they are smaller and more uniform than wood- chip, and require less bulky transportation mechanisms to feed the stove. Pellets are produced from sawdust, which needs to be 8 – 12 % moisture content. A pellet production run needs to use sawdust from the one tree species.
During 2007 a trial of pelletisers (pellet making machinery) took place in a couple of locations in Scotland, and the first Scottish commercial pellet providers plan to become operational early in 2008.
Micro hydro is also emerging as an effective form of power producer, in situations where there is access to a sufficiently large flow of water with a sufficiently high drop.
The opportunities KCFC would be in a good position to produce a number of renewable fuels, including firewood (considered separately in Section 6.1.1), wood-chip, possibly pellets, and potentially hydro energy. There would be an ample supply of raw material for chipping in Acharossan Forest.
As the cost of fossil fuel heating alternatives continues to rise, it is likely that woodchip is likely to grow in popularity as a fuel source in the future. Woodchip could potentially have a role to play in the local area, particularly for the heating of public spaces such as village halls and the local school, and possibly for district heating schemes. There is an opportunity for KCFC to help influence any capital heating projects of this kind, as the reliable availability of fuel can be a key determinant in the decision making process. Depending on the size of projects provided for, a reasonable size local market could be established for wood-chip in the longer term.
Similarly, the market for pellet fuelled systems is presently at an early stage. Semi- automated pellet fired systems are likely to become popular with households, as they require less maintenance and produce less mess than traditional multi-fuel systems. Again, there is a possibility that, were KCFC to plan to produce pellets, this might help to draw through a local market. However, to be economically viable, it would probably be necessary to develop a market for pellets well beyond the local area.
Were either of these two possibilities to be pursued at any point in the future, consideration should be given to the following. The production of wood chip is relatively noisy, and consideration would have to be given to siting a chipper in a location which keeps noise to a minimum. Elsewhere, there are examples of chipping operations being sited in appropriate locations such as old quarries, to keep the noise and dust impact on the surrounding area to as low a level as possible. There are locations in the forest, in dips and surrounded by trees, which could conceivably be suitable for the sensitive siting of chipping machinery.
As sawdust is required for pellet production, this could only realistically be considered if a local sawmill is set up and becomes operational. As is the case with wood chip, pellet production is also relatively noisy, and if a pelletiser were to be installed in the forest, careful consideration would have to be given to its location to ensure that noise pollution is kept to a minimum. Ideally, any pelletiser facilities would be close to the sawmill facilities.
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At some future point, consideration could also be given to use of the old Tighnabruaich reservoir as the source for a local hydro electricity scheme. It is believed that the reservoir belongs to Scottish Water, but no successful contact has yet been made with the agency.
The other primary form of on-shore renewable energy which could be considered in the local context is wind. However, this option would need to be given very careful consideration before any decision was taken to proceed. In particular, causes for concern which would have to be well thought through include the potential visual impact of wind turbine developments in a sensitive scenic area, and the divisive effect which wind farm developments have caused among communities elsewhere in Scotland.
Requirements and estimated costs Chipper £15,000 Kiln £10,000 Storage £30,000 Pelletiser £70,000 Delivery vehicle £5,000
Funding SRDP, proceeds from standing timber sales
Benefits • Constructive usage of a plentiful local resource, and potentially of a by-product of sawmilling which could otherwise be a disposal cost. • “Renewable” fuel with low carbon emissions. • Could act as a means to pull through increased usage of renewable fuels in the local area. • Job opportunity – depends on whether chips and / or pellets are produced, and at the level of production but could be in the region of 0.5 – 2 FTE.
Implementation options Run directly by KCFC KCFC lease equipment and facilities to an independent business on long term lease KCFC lease ground only to an independent business on long term lease.
6.1.7 Charcoal Context The primary uses of charcoal are for barbeques and as a carbon sink / soil improver. The UK imports 90% of its charcoal and in recent years growing concerns about the sustainability of the sources of imported charcoal has led to the development of the BioRegional Home Grown charcoal body which supplies FSC certified hardwood charcoal. This body currently has around 25 suppliers, most of whom are based in England, and sells on average around 300 tonnes of charcoal per year.
There is also a British Charcoal Group which is an informal group bringing together the UK’s charcoal burners.
According to BTCV (Ref. 9) profits for small scale charcoal operators are low, but medium scale operations are likely to be commercially viable if charcoal production is tied in with other woodland management activities (as would be the case in Acharossan Forest). Charcoal is produced either in ring or retort kilns. Kilns can range from £1,000 - £2,000 up to tens of thousands of pounds. A 1.8m (6 foot) kiln takes 8 – 10 hours for a burn, while commercial size kilns (2.5m (8 feet), 2 storeys) take longer for a burn, with the burn typically ending during the night (Ref. 10).
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The conversion rate for timber to charcoal is in the region of 16%. Most of the UK’s charcoal comes from coppiced hardwoods. Wood requires to be air dried for at least a year before it is processed. Historically, charcoal burning was a summer occupation. Softwood charcoal burns well, but is commonly believed to break up in transit, and generally to be more friable than hardwood charcoal. Lumpwood charcoal retails for around £4.15 per 5 kg bag.
It is possible that planning consent would be required from the local authority to set up a charcoal kiln. The location of a kiln would need to be carefully considered to ensure that health and safety issues were properly dealt with, and to avoid fires.
Charcoal burning is a very dirty, dusty and time-consuming (and potentially anti-social) activity. While burning, charcoal needs to be constantly attended, as left unattended the charcoal can burn out and the kiln buckle. The process includes stacking, emptying, sieving and bagging.
Opportunities It is possible for KCFC to consider producing charcoal from the by-products of the timber milling (see Section 6.1.2). The charcoal thus produced would be manufactured almost exclusively from softwoods. To ensure an acceptable level of productivity, a minimum of two kilns would be required.
However, the local charcoal market - for barbeques, fuel and for soil improvement – is likely to be limited. Expanding the market beyond the immediate area would incur cost and degradation of product quality which are likely to make this an uneconomic proposition. It is, therefore likely that the most appropriate size of local operation would be small scale. As is identified in the Context, this is most unlikely to be economic, so any decision to proceed with charcoal production by KCFC should be on the assumption that charcoal production would be carried out essentially as a voluntary type of activity.
Requirements and estimated costs 2 x Kilns £4,000 Bags £500 Safe location Space to stack air-dried wood Manpower Sales and marketing Transport to deliver
Funding Proceeds from standing timber sales
Benefits • Constructive usage of a plentiful resource in the forest, which would otherwise be of little value, and which in part currently obstructs the clearance of paths and tracks. • Non-chemical approach to soil improvement. • A potential carbon-sink.
Implementation Options Volunteer KCFC activity
6.1.8 Deer management and venison Context Acharossan Forest has the potential to develop as a location for shooting and hunting and generate a local source of venison. There is a significant population of red and roe deer in Acharossan Forest, and the need for management of these populations has already been
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identified. If possible, any opportunities for ensuring that deer management does not become a cost should be considered.
Venison is a healthy foodstuff, which is lower in cholesterol and fat than other forms of red meat. In recent years the Forestry Commission in particular has been promoting venison from forests. Forest dwelling deer are organic, and tend to be much more healthy and large than those which have to feed on relatively poor open hills. Past experience in the area would tend to indicate that there is a healthy local market for venison, and a local store is keen to stock local produce of this kind.
A local estate is considering developing field sports. While open hill stalking in Argyll is reported to fetch up to £500 for a stag, stalking in the forest is rather different, requiring sitting on elevated chairs beside clearings and waiting until a deer appears to shoot it. It is possible that this kind of stalking could be let, but at a considerably lower rate than is commanded for open hill stalking.
Some estates in Scotland add value to their game activities by producing and selling venison products, including steak, burgers, sausages etc. Sales can be made locally and nation wide via the web or telephone orders. Processing of venison is an expensive business, which is heavily regulated. The Food Standards Agency requires that venison be chilled to 7° once it comes off the hill / out of the forest. For this, a chill larder is required. If a chill larder is used, the deer carcasses can be kept for a week until they are collected. If the venison is to be processed on-site, an EU- compliant facility, which ensures that the meat is moved forward all the time, and that there is a separate entrance and exit, is required. Butchering facilities include: a butchers table, scales, mincer and vacuum packer.
The stalking season is as follows: Red stag: July 1st – October 20th Red hind: October 21st – February 15th Roe buck: April 1st – October 20th Roe doe: October 21st – March 31st
Opportunities Given the potentially dangerous nature of stalking, appropriate management would be required to reconcile stalking with any other land management activities taking place in Acharossan Forest.
In order to identify the most appropriate way forward for KCFC, it is necessary to gain an understanding of the number of deer which would need to be culled in Acharossan forest on an annual basis. If the numbers are relatively low, for example, less than 100 / annum the most appropriate approach to deer management would probably be to bring in a stalker to shoot the deer, and to take the carcasses to a suitable off-site location for uplift by the local game dealer. It may be possible for KCFC to enter a co-operative deer management arrangement with other land-holdings in the area, thereby providing a proportion of a game- keeper post.
Alternatively, consideration could be given to setting up a local club, as is the case in North Harris with the Hind Stalking Club, which shoots hinds at no cost to the local community. In either case, it is possible that KCFC could make an arrangement with a local estate which has a suitable chill larder to store the carcasses until they are uplifted by the local game dealer, based in Sandbank, 32km (20 miles) away.
If the deer numbers were higher than 100 / annum, it might be possible for KCFC to sell the stalking in Acharossan Forest, possibly by agreeing for a certain number of deer to be stalked during the course of a year at certain times / dates, and to manage the uplift of the carcasses.
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Additional value added could be derived from the production of venison by producing and selling venison products, as is done elsewhere in the country. This would require investment in butchering facilities. Venison products could be sold directly to local markets and nationally using the web and telephone sales.
Requirements and estimated costs Gamekeeper (part time) - £4,500 p.a. (0.25 FTE) Chill larder (for hanging only) - £80,000 Chill larder and butchery (excluding equipment) - £120,000 Butchery equipment - £12,000
Funding SRDP, proceeds from standing timber sales
Benefits • An activity which helps to maintain the ecological balance of the forest and its surrounds, by maintaining browsing damage at an acceptable level. • Local produce minimises food miles to point of delivery. • Healthy eating foodstuff. • Job opportunities – 0.25 FTE.
Implementation options Bring in a local gamekeeper as required Set up a local shooting club to carry out hind cull Engage a gamekeeper part time Install a chill larder in the forest Install a chill larder with butchery facilities in the forest
6.2 PATHS / TRACKS
Context There are a number of paths / tracks at present in the Kilfinan area, but the area is significantly less well provided for in terms of all abilities and other forms of tracks than the landscape could comfortably accommodate. There is also little in the way of active promotion of walking in the area, despite the fact that its natural beauty would act as a good pull to potential walkers and other access users.
There are a number of routes in the privately owned forest to the south of Kames, from Portavadie to Tighnabruaich, and from Tighnabruaich, up the side of Loch Riddon towards Glendaruel. The Cowal Way which was launched in 2003 follows a number of these tracks, but in places the tracks are very wet and muddy, and are not particularly well suited either for casual walkers or horse or bike users. Up until a couple of years ago a local initiative, Kilfinan Greenways undertook some route clearance, but this is no longer operating, and the vegetation which was cleared by the initiative has largely returned.
A selection of the area’s paths, including the Kilfinan Right of Way, which runs from Tighnabruaich across the hills to Kilfinan have been suggested as part of the on-going local area Core Path planning process. The Kilfinan Right of Way is a claimed Right of Way (which means that there is no legal status to the track), and indications have been given by Argyll and Bute Council that the right of way is unlikely to be included in the local Core Path network due to its condition. Although the right of way is signposted out of Tighnabruaich, and was promoted in the 1970s by the Forestry Commission as a local walking route (Ref 9), it is passable only by those wearing Wellington boots and with extreme care. The lower reaches of the track close to Tighnabruaich are in parts heavily vegetated and water-logged,
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and passage requires the traversal of calf-deep water in several places. Once the track enters Acharossan Forest, it continues to be difficult to follow due to a combination of fallen trees, and excessive water-logging. Significant work, in terms of windthrow clearance, drainage and the installation of bridges and boardwalks would be required to bring the track up to a useable standard. Only part of the Kilfinan Right of Way would be owned by the community were it to be successful in its bid for Acharossan Forest.
Possibilities for promotion of walks in the area could spin off from the Cowal Way, and the annual Cowal Walking and Arts Festival.
Opportunity There is an excellent opportunity to create a network of circular paths in Acharossan Forest, using to as great as possible an extent the tracks suggested in the Forest Management Plan (Ref 3.) Access could be managed to avoid conflict with forestry operations in the standard way (by means of notices etc.).
If the main management access to the forest is likely to be routinely used by construction traffic for at least the first couple of years, a separate pedestrian access route into the forest should be considered at a suitable point close to Tighnabruaich Primary School. Ideally this pedestrian access track should enable all abilities access, and a survey should be carried out to determine the most appropriate point of access and line the access track should take.
More broadly, a range of paths / tracks could be created for a variety of abilities and modes, with short circular all-abilities tracks close to car parking for wheelchair / buggy etc. usage. Paths close to car parking need to be built to a relatively higher construction standard than those which are more distant, as they will receive considerably greater usage by a wider range of people. The area of forest in these access paths could be zoned for recreation primarily, and the woodland management priorities in the area set accordingly.
The path network could be a key element in wildlife promotion for the area, and in local recreation provision. The wider network could be designed to enable access to a variety of view points – including the vista down the Kyles of Bute from Cnoc Mhic Dhugail.
The management tracks which could be developed within Acharossan Forest should provide good access for walkers, cyclists and horseriders. This would be of benefit both to the local people – who at present do not consider the local path provision to be particularly suitable or adequate, to those who currently visit the area, and potentially to new types of visitor who are attracted to the area for its outdoor and wildlife viewing opportunities (see section 5.1.8).
Given that, were the community to be successful in its acquisition of Acharossan Forest, only around half of the Kilfinan Right of Way would be in community ownership, and given the relative “user unfriendliness” of linear routes, it would be advisable for the community to consider the reinstatement of the right of way from Tighnabruaich as far as the Tighnabruaich reservoir, then to incorporate it in a circular route, taking in a view point.
Elements of path clearance work could potentially be undertaken by volunteers, as was previously the case with Kilfinan Greenways. Activities of this sort can engender a good community spirit and be used to set a series of goals, achieving which can help to foster the energy required in the community to move things forward.
Requirements and Estimated Costs
Footpaths • All abilities trail. Cost: £25/m (1.8m wide compacted aggregate path. Assumes aggregates have to be bought in. Costs would be approximately £15/m if borrow pits
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from within forest are used for material.) • Multi-use tracks (suitable for recreation and light management use) Cost: £20/m (assumes use of material from within forest and significant lengths of tracks constructed) • Raised causeway. Cost £35/m. (with drainage pipes through) • Boardwalk. Cost: £75/m. (1.2m wide, treated timber) • Drainage ditching. Cost: £2.50/m (required in addition to any footpath construction costs) • Culverts. Cost: £200 each (3m twinned walled plastic pipe with stone mortared walls either end) • Water bars. Cost: £120 (using stone from within forest) • Clearance and management of paths. Cost: £1.50/m per annum.
Signs and interpretation • Signs (brown).Cost :£400 per sign, to include pole, sign and erecting • Interpretation panels. Cost £1,500 each to include design, print on GRP and simple wooden lectern • Promotion - Web design. Cost £1,000 • Walks leaflet design, print and distribution. Cost £1,200 (assume 5,000 print run)
Benefits • Access to timber resource • Access for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders of all ages • Access to parents / carers with children in buggies • Health benefits to people in the area – widen the opportunities for pleasant, safe and stimulating exercise • Broaden the visitor offer in the area • Opens up opportunities for forest based formal and informal education for people of all ages • Job opportunities – depends on how the path / track creation is managed, but could provide local employment for 1 or 2 FTE for two years.
6.3 EDUCATION / TRAINING
Context There is a growing recognition of the role of woodlands in the school curriculum. This is reflected in the Forest Education Initiative, where accredited Forest School leaders take children into forests to carry out a wide range of activities which are engaging, fun and educational. In Argyll and Bute there are currently two forest schools initiatives in Cardross and North West Argyll, but there is currently no coverage of Forest Schools in the Helensburgh and Cowal area.
There is a local land based skills training provider, and the community skills audit has demonstrated that there is a good depth of local experience in land-based skills in general, coupled with experience of training of and working with people of all ages and abilities.
Opportunities As the forest is adjacent to the local primary school in Tighnabruaich, there is a possibility that the school could “adopt” an area of woodland close by, which could be a focus for a range of outdoor activities including arts and crafts, exercise, exploring nature etc. There are three Forest Schools trained individuals in the local community, who would be well positioned to advise on possibilities and to run group activities with children from the local school and, possibly link with the surrounding area.
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Many of Scotland’s community woodland groups have built huts or shielings which are used as an educational base, as a workshop for indoor activities, to display the local children’s work, or as a place to shelter in cold or wet weather. Shelter building could be carried out as part of an arts project. (See Section 5.8)
Acquisition of the forest would open up a whole range of volunteering opportunities for local people, for example clearance of rhododendron and other vegetation, hand-felling small diameter trees, brashing, ditching, constructing small buildings and paths etc. There is capacity in the community to lead work-party sessions. Volunteering in this way is a practical way to acquire skills, and can be a route into employment. Kings Court in Kames is a rehabilitation charity which is keen to be involved in land based work opportunities.
KCFC could consider becoming a service provider for special needs groups. Abriachan Forest Trust provides this type of service, engaging clients in a wide range of activities, and obtains revenue income from the service provision.
There is a possibility that KCFC could become involved at some level in the delivery of existing training courses, such as those organised by the Community Woodlands Association, or the Community Land Unit, either by providing the venue for a course to take place, or by providing trainers.
Requirements and Estimated Costs Access to the forest (See Section 5.5) A base (shelter) constructed using volunteer labour with timber from the forest - £1,000
Benefits • Involvement of local school children in an informal, engaging educational setting • Opportunity for practical skills development • Opportunity for local people to use their skills to engage groups • Income generation possibilities
6.4 OUTDOOR PLAY AREA
Context In Tighnabruaich there is a Community Council run playpark which is situated close to the shoreline. It is located in a position which is not particularly convenient for vehicular access, and the play equipment is ageing. The shoreline is not fenced off from the playpark, which means that the facility is rather hazardous. As a consequence the playpark is underused.
The nearest modern playpark is in Glendaruel around 15 miles away. Although Kilfinan Community Council has sought and received funding for a safe play area, a suitable site has not yet been found.
Opportunity Acharossan Forest could provide an opportunity for a safe play area, close to the Primary School, for smaller children, and an adventure area for older children and teenagers. These facilities could be positioned so that they are away from the road, but are not too secluded. They could be located so that pedestrian access and parking was convenient.
Wherever possible, wooden play furniture could be used, to blend in with the woodland surroundings. Consideration would have to be given to ensuring that the play equipment installed conforms to the relevant standards. It is possible that Argyll and Bute Council could adopt the playpark and take over the maintenance and insurance of the facility, thus relieving
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KCFC of the management burden and attendant responsibilities. However, a “dowry” of 50% of the cost of the playpark would be required for the Council to take this on.
Requirements and Estimated Costs Play equipment for younger children: £35,000 - £40,000 to include equipment, ground cover and installation. Milled timber equipment for adventure playground: around £35,000 Assume groundworks, installation etc. cost a further £5,000. Benches and bins - £750 Plus 50% development costs for “dowry” Dog-free Self-contained
Funding Proceeds from standing timber sales
Benefits • Improvement to the amenities of the area of benefit to local people and visitors alike. • Safe, relaxing place for parents / carers to take their children. • Improved outdoor exercise opportunities for local and visiting children and young people. • Integrates the community with the woodland
6.5 WOODLAND CROFTS
Context Crofting is system of land tenure regulated through the Crofting Acts with a crofter being the tenant of a croft who leases land from, and pays rent to, a landlord. Traditionally, agricultural crofts range in size from less than ½ ha to more than 50 ha but an average croft is nearer to 5 ha. Most crofts are part of a township and share in hill grazing leased in common with other crofters.
The proposal put forward by KCFC is for the creation of several “woodland crofts” in Acharossan Forest. Woodland crofts are a fairly recent concept although in essence they are essentially the same as normal agricultural crofts and are governed by the same legislation and regulations.
The woodland croft idea aims to link housing, local rural livelihoods and woodland management. Key features include: • crofters being able to create new land-based rural businesses through the lease of forested land under regulated crofting tenure • crofters being able to build affordable and sustainable housing; • croft housing created helping to meet the long-term local community housing needs • the community being involved in land management decisions through the long-term retention of community ownership of the croft land • broad-based community involvement and support.
There is considerable interest and support in the woodland croft concept from the Scottish Executive. An Implementation Group comprising the Crofters Commission, Scottish Crofters Foundation, Communities Scotland, FCS, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and a number of community groups and individuals is currently developing policy and guidance to help enable projects on the ground. However, given the new nature of the concept, the range of different rural development sectors involved (forestry, housing, crofting) and the complexity of the issues that have still to be resolved, a range of practical woodland croft models have not
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been as yet been developed. It is expected that some guidance will be provided by FCS as part of a revised NFLS Guidance Note to be launched in late April 2008.
FCS has stated that it does not wish to create any new crofts on FCS land. Its preferred option would be to sell land through the NFLS to community groups (such as KCFC) so that the community can create the new crofts and become the crofting landlord.
Before looking at the opportunity for KCFC to create woodland crofts, it is useful to look at more general crofting legislation.
Crofting legislation and regulation The creation, disposal and management of registered crofts is regulated by the Crofters Commission through legislation. The most recent legislation governing crofting is the Crofting Reform Act, passed in January 2007. This act allows for the creation of new crofts and crofting townships and gives the ability to a landlord on new crofts to exclude a crofters right to acquire the croft or to assign (transfer the crofting lease) the croft to a non-family member. However as this is a recent piece of legislation, much of the detail and mechanisms necessary for a community landlord to be able to create and retain any croft housing to meet long-term local housing needs is not yet in place. The future direction of crofting and the need for further legislation is currently being examined by a Committee of Inquiry on Crofting and it is expected that this Committee will report their findings in April 2008.
Croft tenants Right to buy croft house site and garden ground Croft tenants (other than new croft tenants) have the absolute right to buy their croft house site and garden ground. An area of between 0.1 and 0.2 hectares is usually considered to be appropriate for a house site and garden ground.
The Land Court decides the price of a house site based on the agricultural value of the land alone, i.e. as if there were no house on it, and considers what the house site would be worth if: • it was agricultural land on the open market; • it was being sold by a willing seller, with vacant possession; and • no development would be allowed on the land.
As a result, the cost of the site is usually modest.
Croft tenants right to buy croft land Croft tenants (other than those of newly created crofts) also have the right to apply to their landlord to buy their croft land. In addition, they can also buy their share of the common grazing if it adjoins their croft. Once croft tenants have bought their croft land, they can sell it to anyone. However, if sold to a non-family member within 5 years, the croft landlord may be entitled to some of the profit from the sale. This ‘claw back’ is generally one half of the difference between the later sale price of the land, and the price when it was first sold to the tenant.
The croft tenant and the landlord can mutually agree terms and conditions of sale, including the sale price. However if this is not possible the tenant can apply to the Scottish Land Court for an Order that requires the landlord to sell and for the Land Court to state the sale price - normally 15 times the annual rent of the land, or a proportion of that if only part of the croft is being sold.
The Land Court can refuse to approve an application to buy croft land if it would cause the landlord substantial hardship, or severely disrupt his estate management.
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Where the landlord is a community organisation (such as KCFC), the Land Court may take the aims of the community trust into consideration before making a decision.
Crofters right to assign croft tenancy Crofters currently have a statutory right to assign (i.e. pass on) their croft tenancy – often for a financial consideration to the highest bidder. Along with a perceived lack of enforcement of crofting regulations (for e.g. absenteeism and croft neglect), this has meant sale of croft tenancies that have increasingly been operating in a similar way as the free market in property. However there is the ability for this statutory right to be removed from new crofts created with new crofters only having the right to assign their tenancy to family members. Thus if a new crofter wishes to terminate their tenancy and does not wish to assign it to someone from his/her family, the croft would revert to the crofting landlord who could then re-assign it to a new tenant following their own allocation policy.
Crofting Grants Crofters are eligible to apply to a number of grant schemes unique to crofting. This could help make the possibility of leasing a newly created croft within Acharossan Forest more attractive – particularly to those who would otherwise have difficulty in gaining access to land and building plots.
a. Crofting House Grant Scheme The Croft House Grant Scheme (CHGS) provides grants for new houses and the rebuilding and renovation of existing croft houses. Only crofters and cottars with a genuine housing need are eligible, with grants provided at the discretion of the Scottish Ministers: there is no automatic entitlement. The scheme is geographically targeted with three levels of grant determined by priority areas with the highest grant available in the more remote and fragile communities. Currently the Tighnabruaich area is seen as a low priority area in terms of CHGS grants. As such the maximum grant available to contribute towards the construction of new croft houses is 20% of costs up to a maximum of £11,500. It has not yet been decided whether this scheme will be extended to cover new crofts created under the Crofting Reform Bill.
b. Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme This scheme provides assistance for investment in agricultural production on crofts and small holdings in the crofting counties. The Scheme offers discretionary grant rates of up to 50% of the agreed costs in Less Favoured Areas and 40% in other areas of the Crofting Counties up to a maximum amount of grant of £25,000 for an individual and £125,000 for groups of individuals, in any two year period.
c. Croft Entrants Scheme Croft Entrant Scheme offers additional financial assistance to new young crofters to contribute towards the cost of establishing a basic crofting infrastructure. The grant payable to a new entrant under the scheme is 35% of the approved net cost up to a maximum of £3,000.
Opportunity
KCFC could create a number of woodland crofts to help towards meeting local demand for access to agricultural / forest land and for housing. Under the provisions of the Crofting Act 2007 KCFC will be able to apply to the Crofters Commission to designate part of Acharossan Forest as “croft land”. If approved, KCFC will be able to create new crofts within the forest.
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However there are many issues that still need to be resolved, both at a national and local policy level before KCFC could proceed with creating new crofts in Acharossan Forest.
These include: • Lottery Funding. It is currently uncertain whether the Growing Community Assets Fund would allow the creation of crofting tenure on any land for which it has grant aided the purchase. The lease of croft land to individuals by a community and the subsequent creation of any housing on the land would require the prior consent of the GCA. These are all untested issues. • Sale of croft houses on the open market. It is normal for most crofters who purchase the lease of a bare land croft to wish to build a house on the croft land. This requires the house and garden site to be decrofted (no longer subject to crofting tenure law) and this then allows the crofter to obtain a mortgage using the land as security. However this also means that the house can be freely sold on the open market. Over time this usually results in a separation of the croft house from the croft land and, given current housing market prices, the loss of the croft house from the local “affordable” market. Without placing some restrictions on the sale of croft houses, the creation of new crofts and croft houses would thus not necessarily address the long term housing needs of local communities. Potential remedies for this include applying a Section 75 planning agreement to the house to ensure that the house could not be sold separately from the attached croft land. • Housing Burdens. An alternative means to ensure housing meets long term local needs is for the crofting landlord to utilise the provisions of the Title Conditions Act 2001 to have a Housing Burden applied to any land sold for housing. These burdens give the beneficiary of the burden (the Housing Body) the right to purchase back the land and any house created whenever it is sold in the future. This is done at a pre- agreed price (e.g. the amount that the house plot was originally sold for, plus build costs of the house and any improvements, plus inflation). The Housing Body can then re-sell the house to a local individual at that price. As Housing Burdens apply to these houses in perpetuity, their value should theoretically be considerably lower than the market value for an unburdened house. Other conditions which can be applied include a stipulation that housing has to be used as a principal residence (and thus not become a holiday home). In this way the speculative element of house price increases can be eliminated and theoretically the housing should continue to help meet the long term local housing needs. There are however some issues relating to the use of these housing burdens by a community crofting landlord: o It is possible that a community crofting landlord could be recognised as an appropriate Housing Body and therefore would be able to be the beneficiary of any Housing Burdens. Another approach could be for the community body to sell land with housing burdens attached, with another body being the beneficiary. o Although housing associations (such as the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust) can become the Housing Body and be the beneficiary, they may not have the same approach to allocations policy as a community body. o Experience shows that individuals are reluctant to purchase house plots with Housing Burdens attached as effectively it means that they are unable to benefit from any market house price rises during their ownership of the house. This could be onerous for someone who buys a plot of land (with a Housing Burden attached) and builds a house on it and subsequently sells it but, due to housing market price rises, is not able to purchase another similar house with the proceeds. o Some lenders are reluctant to grant mortgages over land which is encumbered with such Housing Burdens as it considerably reduces the value of any house built and the bank’s ability to sell the asset should the borrower default on repayments
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• Rented housing. It should be theoretically possible for a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) - e.g. a housing association such as Fyne Homes - to provide the housing element for the crofts with crofters renting the houses, or purchasing them with shared equity. However, there are several issues that would need to be resolved with this approach: o A mechanism would have to be found to tie the rented accommodation to the croft land. o RSLs construct and allocate new houses for rent on the basis of housing need, which would not necessarily coincide with local demand for crofts. o If rented housing and croft land were tied, allocations of both would have to be done together by one body. Would the RSL or KCFC have responsibility for allocation? o .There are currently considerable uncertainties over the future of housing policy and funding. o There is as yet no model for this approach and the mechanisms proposed are as yet untried • “Common Forest”. With agricultural crofts, there is usually an area of “common grazings” where local crofters in a township have a right to graze a set number of animals on land leased “in common” by all the crofters from their township. It is not clear how a similar “common forest” system might apply to communal management of forest land by crofters. Much would depend upon whether crofters would want to take on the control (and responsibility) of the collective management of an area of forest and how the community would ensure that the wider community interest in this “common forest” was maintained. Certainly collaboration with the community-owned and managed areas of the forest would be necessary in terms of landscape and biodiversity, but also desirable in terms of efficiently carrying out woodland management activities, timber marketing etc. • Sub-leasing. KCFC would want to limit sub-leasing of crofts as this could be detrimental to the local community interest. • Assignment of croft land. For newly created crofts, the Crofting Reform Act allows for a crofting landlord to prohibit the assignation of a croft lease by a crofter to anyone other than to family members. This will help ensure that a community crofting landlord can meet the long term community demand for croft land. However, this also means that at the end of the tenancy the crofting landlord will have to pay compensation to the outgoing crofter for any improvements that they have made to the croft during the course of the tenancy. This compensation could of course be recouped from any ingoing croft tenant as a one-off payment at the start of their lease. • Use of Section 75 Planning Agreements. These agreements, applied and enforced by the local authority, can be used in a crofting context to bind the owner of a croft house to the tenancy of a piece of croft land. The house and the croft are thus linked together and the house can not be sold unless the lease of the croft land is also transferred (and vice versa). As a community landlord would control who was granted the connected crofting lease, theoretically they could control who purchased the house. In practice there are several difficulties with this system that have still to be resolved: o The existence of such an agreement could considerably reduce the value of any croft house created on the land. This could mean that the value of a newly created house is less than its build cost. o Lenders may be reluctant to grant mortgages on houses where it would be difficult to sell the property should the borrower default on their repayments. o Where a crofter no longer wishes to retain the croft tenancy (due to ill health, retirement etc) the use of a Section 75 Agreement would force the outgoing tenant to also move out of their house. This could be unduly onerous –
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especially if the outgoing crofter built the house or if alternative housing is not available locally. • Ownership of existing standing timber. Under existing crofting legislation existing trees are owned by the landlord, with the crofter owning timber from any trees planted by themselves. Crofters could purchase the standing timber by agreement, though a market value for it would have to be paid. • Woodland croft rental Under existing regulations and legislation, crofters pay a rental based upon the agricultural value of the land. However, if crofters were to lease areas of forested land where the existing timber crop and potential for future income from forestry was significant, then it would be reasonable to expect the new crofters to compensate the community owners through paying an appropriate market rental. • Neglect of crofts. Current forestry incentives and controls support proactive management but have little influence where owners have no interest in managing woodlands. Agreement between the community landlord and the crofters of a long term management plan could be a vehicle for ensuring against neglect but new mechanisms could be considered. It would be important to ensure the land management element of any new crofts was delivered, and that interest in woodland crofts was not confined to creating house sites. • Wider community involvement. Under current legislation, regulation and practice, there is a lack of community engagement in local land management planning over land under crofting tenure. If new crofts in Acharossan Forest were to involve significant areas of land (either as individual crofts or as part of “common grazings” - forest collectively leased by the crofters - then a mechanism would need to be found to ensure wider community involvement. Potentially this might need to involve the community retaining an element of community control over croft land – perhaps through an agreed management plan over the woodland. However such mechanisms do not currently exist and would be potentially difficult to reconcile with the current legislative and regulatory system designed to apply to agricultural land. • Location of crofts. In terms of access and provision of services for new croft houses and croft land, the most cost effective location for the crofts would be within the Potential Development Area (PDA) close to Tighnabruaich. Due to the very high cost of road access and services for housing development, it would be preferable if KCFC could utilise the infrastructure of the proposed housing development should it proceed. If it goes ahead, this would probably occur in 2010 / 2011.
Summary of recommendations relating to the creation of new crofts • Woodland crofts are a new concept and there are no examples that have been created elsewhere to date. As such they are untried and many of the necessary structures and mechanisms are not in place. it has not been established whether the GCA will fund the woodland crofting element of this project. • KCFC could create woodland crofts in Acharossan Forest utilising the provisions of the Crofting Reform Act 2007 • “Woodland crofts” could be created with access to forest and agricultural land • It is probable that the most workeable model is for the croft land to be leased from the community but croft house and garden sites to be decrofted and owned by the croft tenant. • In order to retain the community’s interest and to maintain the crofts ability to meet the long-term local housing and land management needs, restrictions on crofters’ statutory ability to buy and assign their croft land need to be put in place. • Mechanisms to link the croft land and newly created houses and thus ensure that both croft land and housing meet the long term needs of the community are currently being examined. It is likely that legislation along with further regulation and guidance will be developed in the coming 2 -3 years and a workable model created. • The most suitable location for any croft houses is within the PDA next to Tighnabruaich. It would be advisable and cost-effective for KCFC to wait for the
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proposed housing development to take place before proceeding with any croft creation so as to be able to utilise the road and service infrastructure.
6.6 HOUSING
Context The Housing Needs Analysis carried out by KCFC identified 6 individuals / couples / families seeking affordable housing (either to rent, rent to buy, or for self-build) along with a further 8 interested in the creation of new crofts within Acharossan Forest.
Approximately 60% of the 450 privately owned homes in the area are second homes. There is a strong demand for housing of all kinds in the parish with a buoyant local housing market.. This is compounded by a shortage of affordable housing, either to purchase or to rent, and there is a permanent waiting list for rented accommodation and sheltered housing.
Opportunities There is an opportunity for KCFC to work together with Fyne Homes or another housing provider to help facilitate the provision of rented accommodation to meet the local housing need.
A small area of land with housing development potential has been identified in the south of Acharossan Forest. The land does not form part of the proposed community acquisition area and is currently owned by FCS. It had originally been proposed that this land be sold by FCS to Fyne Homes through the National Forest Land Scheme process for the construction of 10 rented units. A Scoping Study commissioned by Fyne Homes and funded by Communities Scotland (Ref. 7) identified the possibility of the houses being constructed from timber harvested from Acharossan Forest by KCFC. Discussions included the potential for local people to participate in part of the house construction, with this self-build element recognised as “sweat equity”. This contribution could serve as a means of securing housing allocation, and it could also be reflected in rental payments / purchase value once the housing was developed. A further benefit to KCFC would be the potential use of the housing access road as a light management access for the south of the forest. However, due to re-organisation of the housing sector by the Scottish Executive since the completion of the scoping study, it is now uncertain whether Fyne Homes will be in a position to proceed with the envisaged development.
Another option could be for KCFC to work together with a housing body to provide sheltered accommodation on the development site. Sheltered housing offers elderly residents a high degree of independence whilst affording them the chance to remain in the community close to family and friends. Typically sheltered housing consists of one bedroom units with sitting room, kitchen and bathroom, equipped with alarms and other safety features. A resident warden with their own house provides support and oversees communal facilities such as the meeting area, laundry, garden and visitors’ accommodation.
An alternative option for the development site could be the construction of rented “amenity housing” – one or two bedroom single storey houses designed for older people. Fyne Homes has indicated that it may be interested in supporting this type of housing provision. Again, KCFC’s role would be to facilitate the development taking place and to work together to create a shared access from the public road.
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Map 6. Proposed housing development site and access road
A potential means of KCFC addressing the local affordable housing shortage could be through the sale of house plots. It might be possible for KCFC to apply a housing burden to any plot of land sold by it to help ensure that any housing created would continue to meet local needs. However, given that it is likely that lottery and other bodies funding the community acquisition of Acharossan Forest would impose legally binding conditions to prevent KCFC from being able to sell house plots, this option does not at this stage appear to be feasible.
What is required A range of housing solutions is required to provide a long-term solution to meet the need for local affordable and sheltered housing.
These may include the creation of housing plots within Acharossan Forest for self-build at some point in the future. There is the desire to ensure that any new houses created by Fyne Homes or other housing provider meet the local demand for rented accommodation. Accordingly, any house plots made available by KCFC in the future would need to have conditions attached to ensure that they are retained in the community interest in the long term.
Benefits • Long term population retention • Creation of employment
Implementation Due to other priorities, it is unlikely that KCFC will be in a position to progress housing within Acharossan Forest in the foreseeable future. At this stage, supporting and being involved in the development of rented accommodation in the proposed development would be the most appropriate means of KCFC involvement in this area.
6.7 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT
Context Due to the commercial nature of Acharossan Forest as a conifer plantation the forest is made up of a limited range of non-native conifer species planted in even-aged stands predominately over a 14 year period. This supports a relatively low biodiversity. There are small areas of native woodlands (around 3%), mainly on the southern edge of the forest.
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Part of Acharossan Forest, a small area to the northeast, is located within a National Scenic Area. As such landscape considerations are of considerable importance.
Opportunity The Management Plan identified a range of environmental objectives along with measures to be taken in order to reach them:
To enhance the biodiversity value of the forest through: • Harvesting conifers when economically mature and restocking selected sites with mixed conifers, including species known to attract red squirrel. • Harvesting conifers when economically mature and restocking sites with native tree species in order to increase the area of native woodland. • Leaving significant areas of clear-fell sites as open ground for native tree regeneration. • Controlling rhododendron infestation.
To enhance the amenity value of the forest through: • Diversifying the species and age ranges of the conifer forest. • Controlling rhododendron. • Upgrading the Kilfinan right of way. • Creating waymarked routes to viewpoints and other landscape features.
To conserve and enhance the landscape value of the forest by: • a gradual restructuring of the forest on the southern slopes and higher hills using relatively small-scale access tracks, felling coupes and harvesting machinery. • allowing clear-felled coupes to revert to open hill habitat or restocking with a wider range of conifer species or with native broadleaves.
What is required The drawing up and implementation of a full woodland management plan; and a Biodiversity Action Plan
Benefits • There are obvious benefits to the flora and fauna of the area, along with benefits for local people and visitors to the area.
Funding Environmental improvement is an important objective of the Growing Community Assets fund and as such any application for development funding from them by KCFC should include a strong environmental element. The Scottish Rural Development Programme contains several measures which would be directly relevant to the restructuring of the forest and its environmental improvement. The detail of the SRDP will become available in spring 2008 Scottish Natural Heritage may be interested in providing grant funding for specific work to improve the biodiversity of the forest.
Costs Rhododendron clearance: Approximately £3,000/ha (assumes 50% cover on average)
Implementation options Much of the environmental improvement to the forest will take place as part of the re- structuring of the commercial blocks of conifers This could be done by contractors, paid KCFC staff or by volunteers. It could also be achieved though leasing of land to individuals / local businesses (either as regulated crofts or through standard leases) as long as any land management accorded with a previously agreed management plan.
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Volunteers could carry out some of the necessary work, though given the extent of the work requiring to be undertaken, this would perhaps form a small proportion. An important aspect of the project is the educational opportunities arising from the environmental improvement work. In particular there is the opportunity of involving the primary school – e.g. in tree planting, or in adopting an area of woodland.
6.8 ARTS
Context Arts are a major component in the development of many community woodland projects. Depending on what is involved, arts initiatives can have very low start up costs, and can bring together people of all ages and interests.
The local community skills audit has uncovered a wealth of arts-related talent of all kinds in the local community, and this could be used creatively to help widen the appeal and relevance of the forest to members of the local community and beyond.
Opportunity KCFC could consider planning a number of arts events early on in the life of the project, as little is required in the way of infrastructure to enable these to take place.
Initially for example, groups could go into the forest and take a photographic record of what they find – the hidden waterworks and their Victorian detail, thickets of rhododendrons, the waterlogged / tree-strewn Kilfinan Right of Way, details of mosses and lichens etc. These pictures could be used by KCFC as a base record of the forest, and could also be shown in a local exhibition to stimulate greater local awareness of and interest in the forest.
As was outlined above in Section 6.4, local children could be taken into the forest and, for example, make figures, collages, or imprints from the leaves, branches, grasses etc they find there. The possibilities are endless.
Abriachan Forest Trust started off in this way, engaging children and others in the forest through a number of arts projects. They then secured funding to build a number of structures, which are used to provide information about the forest, and as venues for groups visiting the forest.
Requirements and Estimated Costs Initially, willing volunteers to run arts sessions Publicity
Funding Argyll and Bute Council, Scottish Arts Council etc.
Benefits • Through arts, people of all ages in the community can become involved, whether as a participant or as an observer. • Arts are fun!
Implementation options These activities should be organised by and run through KCFC, although session leaders could be brought in as required.
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7. DELIVERY
7.1 STRUCTURE TO DELIVER
7.1.1 Organisational structure and status In order to proceed with an acquisition of land, community initiatives need to form themselves into a limited company, preferably with charitable status. KCFC has done so and as such is recognised as an appropriate vehicle for applying to purchase Acharossan Forest through the National Forest Land Scheme. This will also allow the community to apply for funding from the principal funders of this sector – the Growing Community Assets Fund of the Big Lottery Fund, and the Community Land Unit of Highlands & Islands Enterprise. An additional benefit is that KCFC is eligible to register community interests in land under the Community Right to Buy provisions of the Land Reform Act.
Certain functions of the running of KCFC and elements of the management and development of Acharossan Forest need to be carried out by the organisation itself. These would include: • Holding title to land • Membership functions • Insurance • Potential employment of a development manager to further the aims of KCFC • Fundraising • Application for funding from charitable trusts and from lottery sources
Woodland management activities can either be carried out directly by KCFC itself, or through other means as detailed below.
7.1.2 Trading subsidiaries In order to maintain charitable status of community land initiatives, it is advisable that any non-charitable activities such as trading be carried out by subsidiary companies.
In the context of a typical community land initiative, the use of a subsidiary company can have a number of advantages including:- • It allows trading activities which fall outwith the charities’ tax exemption to be carried on without prejudicing the charitable status of the parent company. • It limits the amount of risk that the parent, landholding company is exposed to. Thus if any of the activities carried on by the subsidiary encounter significant financial difficulties, then the assets of the parent company are not endangered. • It allows a separate board to be built up, composed of people with the skills and experience which are appropriate for the activities in question.
Where trading occurs, the establishment of subsidiary companies is also necessary in order to by-pass European State Aids regulations relating to public funding for the acquisition or development of assets. European Law restricts the amount and percentage of grant support that any public body (including government agencies and lottery funders) can give to any organisation, including charitable trusts. In practical terms this means that a community land initiative can be restricted in the total amount of funding that they receive for establishing or supporting a trading business (e.g. a sawmill, hostel etc). One means of minimizing the effect of these regulations is the lease of any community owned property (land, buildings, machinery etc) to trading subsidiaries. It is important to recognise that any wholly-owned community trading subsidiary would need to pay a market rental for any asset leased from the parent community body, or a market price for any assets purchased from them (such as timber). Further advice on State Aids can be obtained from Highlands & Islands Enterprise or from http://www.stateaidscotland.gov.uk/.
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7.1.3 Enabling local business development This option would involve KCFC, as a landowner, operating as a facilitating organisation enabling the development of local businesses. This can be achieved by: • Leasing community owned property. This could be the lease of buildings, yards, land or even areas of the forest. Most of the larger community land initiatives utilise this approach e.g. o Lease of forest land by the Knoydart Foundation to the Knoydart Forest Trust o Lease of office space and industrial units by Kinlochleven Land Development Trust o Lease of sheds and outbuildings by the Assynt Foundation o Lease of community-owned housing by the North Harris Trust. • Sale of standing timber. This is possibly one of the best methods of the community carrying out the extensive woodland management required in the forest without having to purchase equipment, recruit and train staff and undertake the risk and responsibility of the woodland management operations. This can be at the level of the sale of blocks of commercial conifers to established forestry contractors, or the sale of small blocks or even individual trees to individuals and businesses within the community. (Knoydart Forest Trust sells small areas of standing timber to a local firewood business as a means of achieving thinning). • Making the land resource available. By the community provision of general access, footpaths, interpretation materials etc there is the potential for existing and future local businesses to directly and indirectly benefit from the community ownership of Acharossan Forest. This would apply particularly to tourism related businesses such as pony trekking, (such as with Laggan Forest Trust) wildlife tourism (Knoydart Foundation), accommodation provision etc. • Sale of land. With the permission of the grant giving bodies, it is usually possible for community land initiatives to sell land if it helps achieve their objectives. Examples of this elsewhere in the past include the sale of land for: o Building affordable housing and for house plots (Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust), o Pub outbuilding (Knoydart Foundation)
There are distinct advantages to KCFC adopting a facilitating, enabling role, at least in part, as a means of helping achieve its organisational objectives. The benefits include: • The relative ease of KCFC management - community capacity lessening the workload • Reducing the need for direct employment by KCFC. Direct employment carries with it a considerable burden in terms of recruitment, staff supervision, and accommodation, as well as the commitment to providing work and weekly / monthly wages. • Passing on all health and safety considerations upon contractors • Reducing the level of project management and supervision required by KCFC staff and directors • Allowing KCFC to develop a facilitating role as the land owner and manager. Evidence from other community land initiatives indicates that they work most efficiently and effectively when they in turn enable other organizations, individuals or businesses to operate more efficiently and effectively. • Limiting the need for KCFC to raise all the capital and revenue funding required to achieve its objectives • Providing a means of private capital to be invested in the forest • Providing an opportunity for local individuals and businesses to develop livelihoods
This type of facilitating role by KCFC would also allow the community to concentrate its time, energy, activities and funding on aspects of the project that could provide the best return in terms of social, economic and community capital (e.g. recreation and access provision, arts and education projects, developing new economic activities etc). It would also potentially
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provide an invaluable income stream to help fund these other aspects of the wider KCFC project.
7.2 COMMUNITY CAPACITY
7.2.1 The Project Manager It is envisaged that a Project Manager will be required to develop and take forward key aspects of this project, working with the community. Elsewhere, communities have employed a manager with general organisational / management skills, who brings in or sub- contracts specialist advice or services as required. This might be particularly applicable for KCFC who might wish to contract in professional forestry services to oversee the management of the commercial harvesting of some of the conifer blocks.
It is possible that capacity may already be present within the community to undertake this post, but in any case as a publicly funded post, it will have to be widely publicised, and a transparent and fair recruitment process followed.
A draft job description for this post is outlined in Appendix H.
7.2.2 KCFC Board Several members of the community have had experience of running the KCFC steering group through to the formation of the company; a number of people have experience of book-keeping; an encouraging number of people have had experience of fund-raising, which is going to be an essential role for the company; and there appears to be sufficient experience of marketing and web-site development to ensure that the company will be able to communicate effectively with its various stakeholders. It is crucially important that KCFC find ways to tap into the considerable skills and abilities already present within the community by involving a broad range of members of the community as directors and office bearers.
Areas where training may be beneficial to ensure competent governance and management include: • Governance of not-for-profit organisations including directors’ roles and responsibilities • OSCAR compliance • Financial management – understanding basic accounts, profit and loss, budgeting etc. • Contracts management • Personnel management – requirements of law, and in practice.
As an additional means of ensuring a broad range of specialist skills and knowledge on the Board of Directors, it is possible under Article 9.4 of KCFC’s Articles of Association to co-opt up to 3 individuals as directors until the next AGM. This might prove very useful – as it has done with other community land initiatives in the Highlands where Council officials, environmental specialists, housing professionals etc have been co-opted.
Many of the most successful community land initiatives have developed their operating structure so that once strategic decisions have been made at Board level, operational activities can be delegated to sub-groups. This allows: • The Board to function at a strategic level and not get “bogged down” in detail. Sub- groups can briefly report back progress on their agreed activities for each board meeting. • A range of sub-groups to be created to focus on specific aspects of the project e.g. (education, access, land management, arts projects etc). • A greater number of members and other interested parties to become involved. Not everyone is interested or able to become a director of a community land project, but many people want to contribute and have relevant skills, knowledge, enthusiasm and
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time.
7.2.3 KCFC Members The skills survey has shown that there is already a broad range of skills available within the community, with an encouraging interest in volunteering coupled with experience in practical forestry and construction, the arts, and administration and marketing. The survey has also indicated that there is likely to be a degree of demand for skills development among ordinary members of KCFC. These skills could be outdoors and / or physical – including handsaw and chain-saw use, path-making, site-preparation, building structures, fencing, plant identification etc., or could be more office based or logistical in nature – for example fund-raising – or arts based. photography, writing, education etc
7.3 TIMETABLE TO DELIVER It is suggested that a 5 phase approach is taken to enable the community to deliver the project in a measured way which enables it to gather momentum in a planned and well managed manner.
The five phases are: Phase 1 – Project start-up (Year 1 to 2) Phase 2 – Economic and management activity start-up (Year 2 feasibility / business plan; deployment Years 3 to 5) Phase 2a – Housing development (TBC) Phase 3 – Croft development (Estimate Year 3 onwards) Phase 4 – Economic activity development (Year 5 feasibility / business plan, Year 6 onwards for deployment)
Each of these phases is considered in turn, looking at the aims of each phase, and the activities which would be commenced and undertaken in each phase.
7.3.1 Phase 1 – Project startup Elements of this phase of the project could commence as soon as the community secures ownership of the forest. The activities included here are either enabling of other activities, or have very low entry level costs and could involve a whole cross-section of the local community.
Aims • Get the project off the ground • Deliver the infrastructure required for economic and other activities • Provide opportunities for early local community involvement in the project
Elements • Hold a celebration event marking the start of community ownership. This could take the form of an event within the wood itself, and / or be held in the village hall (ceilidh etc) • Recruitment and appointment of project manager for a 3 - 5 year period. Initially the project manager would undertake the planning required to schedule delivery of all the elements of the project, with particular emphasis on delivery of the remainder of Phases 1 and 2, and integration with Fyne Homes’ or its successor’s delivery of Phase 2a. • Draw up a woodland management plan. This would involve carrying out a full woodland survey and perhaps further community consultation. It would also be required as a precursor to receiving SRDP funding and prior to any sizeable woodland management works being done on the ground. • Research the feasibility of, and where appropriate agree a business plan for, the economic elements of the project envisaged in Phase 2.
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• Establish a pedestrian entrance to the woodland as a public focus and gateway to the woodland – most likely at the road frontage west of the primary school. This could involve the construction of a small car park, signage, information board, rainshelter, noticeboard etc. • Develop a management access and vehicles tracks within the forest connecting with the A8003 in Tighnabruaich. These tracks should be such that future access to the housing development, the wood processing yard, and appropriate quality standing timber is enabled. • Clear the space for the wood processing yard. Sufficient space should be cleared to allow for all the timber-processing activities which will be commenced in Phase 2. • Using the pedestrian access where possible, start to improve the environment in the lower reaches of the forest, clearing rhododendrons, hand-felling small diameter / dead trees, and starting to develop a footpath network where this can be easily done. This could provide a starting point for the project’s education / training programme, and could be carried out primarily by volunteers. • Initiate a volunteer-run arts in the forest programme. This could involve the local school children in e.g. making structures from items they find in the forest, and other members of the community in fun, forest based arts activities.
It is envisaged that each of these activities would continue beyond the lifetime of Phase 1, enabling access to the crofts and to further areas of the forest, environmental improvements further into the forest, and arts activities to take place over a wider area of the forest.
7.3.2 Phase 2 – Economic and management activity start-up This phase envisages the start-up of a small number of economic, and woodland and environmental management activities in the forest.
The woodland and environmental management elements of this Phase will continue throughout the life of the project. However, a considerable number of initial activities will be required in order to bring the forest into a well managed and sustainable condition.
Aims • Lay the foundations for economic returns from the forest • Commence woodland management activities • Commence economic activities for which there is a guaranteed market for the products. • Commence economic activities which are required to maintain a good environmental quality in the forest.
Elements Note that only these elements which are deemed to be economically viable would be pursued in this Phase. They could, however, include: • Commence sawmilling and firewood supply operations: o Erect the buildings required for timber storage, saw-milling, and, if appropriate, kiln- drying at the wood-processing yard. o Install splitter and sawing equipment. o Extract suitable quality sawlogs for milling o Extract suitable quality logs for firewood • Commence deer management – venison production
The following essential activities would need to be undertaken to bring about the environmental improvements envisaged by the project: • Re-structuring of forest silviculture through thinning, coup felling etc. • Replanting with a diverse range of tree species • Draw up and instigate a Biodiversity Action Plan
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7.3.3 Phase 2a – Housing development This phase will be undertaken and managed by Fyne Homes or other housing provider. It could take place in parallel with the activities envisaged in Phase 2 above.
7.3.4 Phase 3 – Croft development This phase could either take place over an extended period of time, with the clearance of land and creation of crofts on a rolling basis, or over a shorter period. However, in order to maintain the community’s long term interests over any croft land, it is advised that the community await the implementation of the findings of the Crofting Committee of Enquiry before proceeding with the creation of any new crofts. This may require a period of several years.
Aims Provide access to croft land and enable a start to be made to croft house building, and the development of pasturage or other land use activities.
Elements • After local consultation, agree areas suitable for croft land and for croft house sites. • Application to Crofters Commission to designate part of Forest as “croft land” • Draw up mechanisms to ensure that the croft land and croft houses are able to meet the long term housing and land management needs of the local community • Advertise croft land and allocate to croft entrants • Enter into crofting leases
7.3.5 Phase 4 – Development of economic and social activities Once the previously mentioned key elements of the project have been undertaken, or at least got underway, it would be an appropriate point to consider further development of forest-related economic and social activities.
Initially, work should be undertaken by the project manager to carry out detailed feasibility analyses of additional economic activities which could be undertaken in the forest, and to develop detailed business plans for those activities which are assessed to be economically viable in the feasibility analysis.
Aims • To fully realise the economic potential of the forest • To maximise the job opportunities and other benefits deriving from economic activities • To develop the forest’s potential for a range of recreational activities
Elements Note that only these elements which are deemed to be economically viable would be pursued in this Phase. They could, however, include: • Development of bunkhouse facilities; • Establishment of a charcoal burning facility; • Development of wood-chip production and / or development of pellet production • Agricultural activities on the crofts which have been established; • Development of a play park / adventure playground facility.
7.4 FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT
7.4.1 Acquisition Finance Under the terms of the NFLS, if KCFC wish to purchase Acharossan Forest then it would have to pay FCS the market value as assessed by the District Valuer – i.e. £500,000. Given
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an estimated figure of £5,000 to cover legal costs incurred by KCFC in purchasing the land, the total acquisition costs would be in the region of £505,000.
Whilst it is not possible to detail exactly how the necessary acquisition funding could be raised by KCFC, it is possible to identify the principal sources of funding, as used in similar circumstances by other community land initiatives. This is summarised in the below table:
Funding Source % of Acquisition Costs Growing Community Assets Fund (maximum) 85 Community Land Unit (approximately) 9 Community own contribution (minimum) 6 TOTAL 100
Table. Acquisition Funding Sources
The above indicative funding sources and percentages are further explained below:
Growing Community Assets Fund of the Big Lottery Fund The GCA can fund projects to: • purchase, improve or develop assets • pay for technical assistance such as project design and planning, risk assessment, and surveys • employ development staff and help groups obtain the skills they need to develop or manage an asset.
The GCA is particularly interested in projects which: • regenerate the local area and create sustainable livelihoods • improve the appearance, safety, accessibility, and biodiversity of community environments and green spaces • provide essential community services, and increase access to these • produce and celebrate healthy, sustainable food, for example community orchards, food fairs or cafes • generate renewable energy, sustainable buildings and the sustainable use of resources • enable better access to local services and environments through cycling, walking and sustainable motorised transport.
Communities may apply for no more than five years’ funding in any single application but both capital and revenue funding is available.
The GCA will fund up to a maximum of 85% of the acquisition costs and all GCA applications need to be submitted by the end of December 2008. Discussions with the GCA indicate that it would be best for an approach for funding for land acquisition to be accompanied in the same application for development funding (see Section 7.4.2.2). The GCA is administered on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund by the Community Land Unit of Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) Funding HIE’s Community Land Unit can provide financial support for both the acquisition and the subsequent development of community land projects and this can form a vital funding bridge for any community land purchase. For acquisition, HIE can provide an additional level of funds which, when combined with the GCA funding, up to a maximum of 94% of the acquisition costs. Thus if the GCA was to offer a grant of 85%, HIE would be able to give a grant of a further 9% of acquisition costs.
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Community funding A necessary element of land acquisition funding is the raising of a proportion of the price paid by the community itself. The GCA and Community Land Unit of HIE require that the community contribute at least 6% of the acquisition costs. Thus given acquisitions costs of £505,000, KCFC can expect to have to raise in the order of £30,300 as the community contribution. This contribution has to be made up from funds raised by the community itself and can not consist of funding in lieu from any discount on the price paid from the valuation of the land.
The community funding element can include funding raised from the following sources: • Charitable Trusts. There are a number of grant giving charitable trusts who have supported community land initiatives in the past (e.g. the Tubney Trust or the Carnegie Trust) • Private donors. Many of the large community land buyouts have been assisted by sizeable donations from private individuals who have had links with the area, or support the communities’ objectives • Local fundraising. This can take the form of fundraising events (sponsored activities such as walks, swims etc), ceilidhs, raffles, bring and buy etc. • Use of pledges within the appeal process. • Holding a public appeal. This option has been successful for other community land initiatives when looking to raise funds for land acquisition and subsequent land development. It entails contacting / reaching out to people who have a connection with the Kilfinan area (e.g. people have been coming to visit the area for generations) and / or those who would like to support the aims and objectives of KCFC. Elements of a public appeal include: o Public launch of appeal o Use of all available media – local radio, national and local press, Scottish Community Land Network etc o Production of appeal fliers o Use of KCFC website • Potential for the establishment of a non-voting membership scheme - “Friends of KCFC”. This would allow for non-local people to be able to be involved and part of KCFC on an on-going basis. Such friends-of schemes in similar community land initiatives are an important source of regular, non-allocated funding and support. • Establishment of a “patrons” scheme for funders and organisations which have donated significant amounts. Funder and recipient both benefit and achieve their own objectives when they are part of developing a successful project together. It is vital that a positive and enthusiastic relationship is developed and maintained - studies show that once a funder has successfully invested in a project, then they are more likely to recognise the mutual benefits of continuing their involvement.
7.4.2 Development Finance
The projected development income and expenditure is outlined in the tables below and is fully set out in Appendix I. This is based upon several assumptions: • Operations follow the phasing outlined in Section 6.3 and the woodland management prescriptions set out in the Management Plan. • KCFC contract out the majority of woodland management work and thus would not need to employ staff (other than a Project Manager) or purchase the full extent of capital equipment required. • Buildings associated with woodland management, access infrastructure and a limited range of capital equipment are proposed. • KCFC establish a trading subsidiary to carry out trading operations. This would include some sawmilling being carried out by contracting in a local mobile sawmill contractor with the timber being sold on once dried. It would also include a small
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firewood operation. Both trading activities would entail the lease of premises and equipment from KCFC and the purchase of timber (as a raw product) from the parent company.
7.4.2.1 Project development costs It is expected that the majority of the initial costs will relate to the construction of the necessary access and woodland management infrastructure. It is important to note however that these access limitations will be reflected in the valuation placed upon Acharossan Forest. However, this will mean that the community has to find a comparatively higher amount of development funding (acquisition funding from GCA and HIE can be 94%, whereas GCA will only grant up to 50% development funding). The estimated cost of installing road and access infrastructure, along with recreational access provision is estimated to be approximately £300,000 over the first 5 years of the project.
The projected project development expenditure is summarised below and is roughly based upon the Project Phases set out in Section 6.3 and the management prescriptions outlined in the Management Plan. A more detailed breakdown of expenditure is given in Table 1 of Appendix I.
Project Development Expenditure Summary Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Totals Employment costs 33,040 30,560 32,840 32,960 32,860 162,260 Aftercare 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 8,500 13,000 Forest infrastructure 110000 34500 144,500 Capital equipment 2,250 33,500 6,100 41,850 Environmental management 14,250 21,000 21,000 6,000 6,000 68,250 Recreational access 12,000 20,000 137,000 20,000 189,000 Interpretation and education 1000 1500 4200 6,700 Woodland crofts 5,750 5,750 Woodland management 6,175 34,350 6,150 2,000 48,675 Total Expenditure 70,215 217,560 276,740 66,110 49,360 679,985
Table: Project Development Expenditure Summary Note: The information provided is an indication of potential costs; it may not be complete, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Assumptions The project development expenditure set out makes the following assumptions: • Employment. A full time Project Manager is employed at £24k / annum with a £2k increment in Year 3. It may be possible to apply to the GCA and HIE for additional funding for an administrator / bookkeeper one day per week at £15k pro rata. • Forest roading / access. Class A roads have been costed at £40/m. It is anticipated that the main access link road with the FCS block to the north will be completed in Year 1 (see map) along with an access spine (with spurs) through the forest to join up with public road access at the south of the forest should the Fyne Homes housing development proceed. Depending on the route chosen, it is estimated that the initial length of class A roads required will be in the region of 2,750m. Further Class A roads may be constructed in the future to extract timber from any future commercial harvesting in Compartment 1. A stacking yard is assumed at a cost of £2,000 (if created as part of road construction contract) • Harvesting costs. Harvesting and extraction costs have been factored in to the net income from standing timber sales. Figures are based on costs of timber at roadside at £12/m3. As per the Management Plan, total sawlog output from cpt 2a and 2b is estimated at 5,000m3 of sitka spruce and 3,000m3 of other species including western
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hemlock and larch. This gives an approximate output of 3,075m3 for the 25ha clearfell envisaged in the Management Plan. The harvesting of roundwood for firewood sales is costed at £10 / tonne. • Forest establishment. A rough costing has been made for woodland establishment on the 15ha of the 25ha clearfell site (leaving enough open space for the creation of crofts). Costs include fencing, ground preparation, planting/seeding, weeding and beating up costs (replacing failed plantings). o Broadleaved woodland: £2,200/ha. This assumes a stocking density of 1,500/ha, deer fencing at £500/ha, and using a mix of natural regeneration and planting. A further cost of £300/ha would be incurred in the following year for beating up (assumes 15% losses) and weeding (cutting back competing vegetation from the base of the young trees). o Conifer woodland: £1,770/ha (assumes stocking density of 2,500/ha). A further cost of £230/ha would be incurred in the following year for beating up (assumes 15% losses) and weeding. • Rhododendron control. Taken at £3,000/ha for an estimated 20ha (mainly the southern edge of the forest). This is based upon an average rhododendron density of 50%, using a squad of between 3 and 6 using chainsaws and burning the cleared rhododendrons. Re-growth would require spraying in subsequent years. • Recreational access. Multi-use tracks, which will also be able to be used as tractor trailer roads for extraction, have been costed at 20/m. Estimated initial length required is 5,600m. All abilities trails (total length1,250m) and woodland footpaths (4,000m) are costed at £25/m and £10/m respectively.
7.4.2.2 Project Development Income
It is expected that KCFC will need to access funds from a range of public bodies and agencies. Funding opportunities will of course depend upon the activities being carried out and some suggested sources are outlined in Section 5 under each different activity.
In order to balance income and expenditure, KCFC will need to contribute its own funds towards a proportion of the project development costs. It is advised that the higher the community’s own contribution, the easier it will be to lever in grant funding. One means of achieving this would be through including any woodland management activities proposed in the Management Plan in the project development expenditure / income forecasts – e.g. harvesting a 25ha clearfell site in the 1963 plantings in the south of the forest. Estimated figures for income and expenditure show the felling and extraction to be financially marginal. However, it is recommended that the full costs of timber harvesting and extraction, and income from timber sales are included in any financial projections carried out for the project. This will both reflect the true income/expenditure of the project and help demonstrate KCFC’s financial contribution to the project and will thus help lever in grant funding.
NOTE: It is important to recognise that State Aids regulations may limit the amount of public funding support that can be given to elements of the project that relate to forestry operations, woodland management and capital costs associated with business establishment. Further advice should be sought from HIE’s Community Land Unit.
The projected project development income is set out in the below table. A more detailed breakdown of KCFC trading subsidiary income is provided in Table 3 of Appendix I.
Note: The information provided is an indication of potential income; it may not be complete, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
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Project Development Income Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Totals GCA Capital Funding 11,210 70,680 79,249 9,880 2,280 Revenue Funding 24,780 22,920 24,630 24,720 24,645 Aftercare funding 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Sub-total 307,994 HIE Community Land Unit 8,260 7,640 8,210 8,240 8,215 40,565 HIE Argyll & Islands Enterprise 450 6,700 1,220 8,370 SRDP Forest infrastructure 33,000 10,350 Environmental management 7,125 10,500 10,500 3,000 3,000 Woodland management 1,853 0 10,305 1,845 600 Recreational access 6,000 10,000 68,500 10,000 Interpretation & education 500 750 2,100 Sub-total 189,928 KCFC own contribution Sale of standing timber 38,925 Woodland crofts 60,000 Local fundraising 5,223 Income from Trading Subsidiary (see table in Appendix I) 10,185 9,135 9,660 Sub-total 133,128 TOTAL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT INCOME 66,901 202,115 286,249 67,820 56,900 679,985
Table: Projected Project Development Income
The following funding sources and assumptions were made in completing the above projected Project Development Income table:
Growing Community Assets Fund The funding intervention rates for the GCA are set out in the below table. The GCA will fund up to 50% of capital costs though it is recommended that, if possible KCFC seek a lower intervention rate (30-40%) to make development funding more attractive. The GCA will fund up to 75% of revenue costs associated with the employment of a Project Manager.
Discussions with the GCA indicate that applications for development funding should be included in the acquisition funding application. This may be difficult as many of the elements of the development project may not be sufficiently worked up to be able to identify the “outcomes” as desired by the GCA. However, it may be possible to put in a phased application to partially overcome this difficulty.
All Outline Proposal Forms (OPFs) must be submitted to the GCA by 1st August 2008 with all full applications submitted by the end of February 2009. If the application is successful, development spend may be made and claimed for a further 5 year period. This may be particularly useful in relation to the employment of a project manager for KCFC.
Highlands & Islands Enterprise HIE grant intervention rates are set out in the table above. HIE’s Community Land Unit can provide funding for up to 25% of revenue costs associated with the employment of a Project Manager. An application to Argyll and Islands Enterprise for assistance with capital costs associated with development of economic development opportunities may be sought for funding of around 20%.
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GCA HIE Maximum Funding Maximum Funding available % of available % of costs costs Development - Capital costs 50% 20% (Variable - through Local Enterprise Company) Development – Revenue costs 75% 25% (e.g. employment costs for (for up to 5 years) (through Community Land Unit) Project Manager) Aftercare (professional advice, 100% training etc)
Table: Project Development - Funding Sources
Scottish Rural Development Programme SRDP funding could form a significant element of funding for development costs and could include grants for woodland management and restructuring, environmental improvement, access and recreational provision etc. The guidance and financial intervention rates for the SRDP are expected to be made available in March/April 2008. As such it is not possible in this report to provide any accurate figures for grant income for these activities. However, to enable an Income / Expenditure analysis to be carried out, the following intervention rates have been assumed: • Woodland management activities and forest infrastructure: 30% of costs • Environmental management, recreation, interpretation, education and access provision: 50% of costs
KCFC’s Own Contribution In any funding application it is important that KCFC can demonstrate that it is making a significant contribution towards project costs. This should be readily achievable and the projected Project Development Expenditure assumes the following income streams • Local fundraising. It is expected that KCFC will continue to raise funds through its membership, supporters, donations, grants from charitable trusts etc. This type of funding is “unallocated” (i.e. not tied to any particular KCFC project) and is thus important to the ongoing ability of the organisation to meet its financial commitments. • Standing Timber sales. Production from felling 25ha in Cpt 2a; According to the Management Plan, sawlog production in the 65ha of Cpts 2a and 2b would be 5,000m3 of Spruce and 3,000 m3 of other species. Thus felling 25ha should produce approximately 3,075 m3 of sawlogs. Scottish Woodlands, which markets timber locally, has given a standing sales price of £12 - £15/tonne for sawlogs. As a rough guide, taking 1m3 to be 0.75 tonnes, this would give an income of £9 - £11.75/m3 for sawlogs. (estimated value: 3,075 m3@ £9 = £27,675) Standing sales for roundwood is valued at approximately at £3 - £5 / tonne – i.e. £2.25 – £3.75 / m3. Given that the forest has considerably more roundwood than sawlogs, a total production of roundwood from the 25 ha has been estimated at 5,000 m3 (estimated value: 5,000 m3 @ £2.25 = £11,250). . • Woodland crofts. The lease of 6 crofts @ £10,000 each is projected for Year 3. This assumes that : o The proposed housing development proceeds providing access and services to the crofting development area. o Permission from the GCA, HIE and other funders is forthcoming o There is a relaxation of grant conditions and any standard securities taken out over the land by funders. • Trading subsidiary income
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o Timber sales in Year 3 are projected on the basis of 150 m3 of timber being sold to Fyne Homes, other housing provider or woodland crofters for housing construction. KCFC would supply the raw timber from the commercially harvested areas of compartment 2a to a KCFC trading subsidiary at approximately £15 / m3. The subsidiary would then contract a local mobile sawmill contractor to mill the timber with the air dried timber then sold by the subsidiary to the relevant third party / parties. Subsequent year’s sales of timber for milling and onward sale by the trading subsidiary are taken at 50m3 / annum. o Lease of land and buildings: In order to circumvent State Aid regulations, a market rental would have to be paid by the trading subsidiary to KCFC. Annual rental income is estimated at 5% of the construction cost of shed, drying shed and yard. o Lease of equipment: Again, due to State Aid restrictions, a market rate for the lease of equipment would have to be paid by the trading subsidiary to KCFC. This is estimated at 10% of the capital cost. o Timber sales for firewood: Assumes a local demand of 135 tonnes per annum in year 3 rising to 200 tonnes in year 5. The trading subsidiary is assumed to pay a market price to KCFC for delivered roundwood of £15 / tonne.
A breakdown of the projected KCFC income from its trading subsidiary is contained in Table 3 of Appendix I.
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8. CONCLUSIONS
The Parish of Kilfinan has much in its favour – it has a spectacular setting, yet is relatively close to urban facilities while retaining a feeling of remoteness; and it has an active and diverse community, a local school and shops, and healthy visitor numbers, particularly during the summer and festive seasons. However, the area’s population is ageing, and limited employment and recreational opportunities combined with a severe lack of affordable housing, means that, without some form of intervention, the future is likely to mean further depletion of services with little prospect of attracting young families to or retaining young people in the area.
Acharossan Forest, which lies adjacent to Tighnabruaich, has not historically been a priority for the Forestry Commission Scotland. Since its establishment in the 1960s and 1970s the forest has remained unmanaged, and parts of the forest are already starting to suffer from the effects of windthrow. The current FCS plan for management of the forest envisages staged harvesting operations starting in the forest in 10 years’ time. However, ideally active management should start as soon as possible, to prevent the present limited windthrow problem becoming more widespread and, possibly, intractable. The FCS management plan does not make any form of provision for opening up the forest for public access.
It is the vision of KCFC to provide a wide range of benefits – social, environmental and economic - to the local community and to visitors to the area through the acquisition and sympathetic development of 447 ha (1105 acres) of Acharossan Forest. The community fully understands that the acquisition of the forest is a serious undertaking, and this report has been commissioned with a view to identifying the most appropriate approach for acquisition and project development to ensure that community ownership delivers maximum public benefit, and is undertaken in a well managed, efficient and effective manner. In March 2008, the District Valuer valued the forest at £500,000. Based on agency and funder advice, and the experience of other community groups which have purchased land, it is advised that funding of up to 94% of acquisition costs should be available. This would leave 6% to be raised by KCFC.
It would appear that KCFC has strong support from the local community for its aspirations for Acharossan Forest. The Community Skills Survey has uncovered that there is a good range and depth of experience and a willingness in the community to take this project forward. Where specific specialist expertise (e.g. forest management planning) is required for elements of the project, this could be brought in as required.
Currently FCS has no existing management access into the forest. The only road frontage that the forest has is onto a C-class public road adjacent to the Primary School in Tighnabruaich and, if access can be created here at all, it would only be suitable for light management and recreational access. Further light management access may be able to be gained in the future from the adjoining proposed Fyne Homes housing development. However as there are uncertainties as to whether this proposed development will take place, KCFC can not depend on this access being created. FCS has agreed in principle to allow a right of access from the adjacent FCS holding to the north of Acharossan Forest utilising the existing FCS roading network. However a 1km “link road” would need to be built by KCFC to access the community forest. Obtaining a legal access right and the construction of this management access is fundamental to allow the extraction of timber from the forest and for the effective and efficient community management of the forest.
Internal access within the forest is not currently possible, as there are no management roads or tracks in the section of forest which the community wishes to acquire. However, significant volumes of sawlogs and roundwood could be harvested and extracted along appropriately located roads and tracks. This is considered to be the key element to allow for
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the effective woodland management and to enable the social, environmental and economic potential of the forest to be unlocked. Hence the recommendation is made that the community should consider seeking funding for the construction of management and recreational access as part of the funding submission for acquisition of the forest. Establishing a management road / track network in the initial stages post-acquisition would enable an income stream to be derived from the sale of standing timber from an early stage of the project. This could assist the community to invest in the other environmental, educational, recreational and economic development opportunities they have identified.
It is recommended that a project manager should be employed by the community to manage the planning aspects of the project, to finalise the forest management plan and co-ordinate management operations, to ensure that a comprehensive feasibility analysis is carried out of the economic opportunities which have been considered in this document, and to facilitate communications with the community, funders and other project stakeholders. It is also recommended that KCFC should primarily contract out woodland management operations rather than undertaking them “in-house”. In this way the need for capital and revenue expenditure are minimised along with the need for staff recruitment and management. KCFC could thus look to employ local contractors and in this way act as a facilitator to encourage local economic development. It is recommended however that KCFC establish a trading subsidiary to enable it to set up a small sawmilling and firewood business.
There is the potential for KCFC to establish woodland crofts within the southern area of Acharossan Forest. However it is recommended that this element of the project is not taken forward until there is a better indication of whether there would be support from funding bodies, there is a range of agency policies and development models in place, and the necessary road infrastructure is in place within the forest.
At present, it is not clear how economically viable most of the economic options which have been identified by the community would be. However, as the project develops, external factors are likely to change (e.g. fossil fuel prices rising further; increased support for carbon emission reduction measures) and the market opportunities for at least some of the considered options are likely to improve. For example, Scotland’s national fuelwood industry is currently in the early stages, and as such there is at present a relatively limited market for any fuelwood supply operations which might be established in the area. However Government support for the development of fuelwood across the country would tend to suggest that this market is likely to develop strongly over time, and, as owners of Acharossan Forest, the community could be in a good position to capitalise upon this.
In addition to facilitating the extraction of timber from the forest, there are a number of activities which the community could start to undertake early in the life of the project which would have recreational, social and environmental benefits. In particular, the arts, educational and environmental elements of the project could be initiated with little in the way of investment, and these activities could serve to engage a wider cross-section of the community and to build on the sense of ownership and relevance of the forest to the local and wider community.
The plans which KCFC has for the forest would undoubtedly bring significant additional benefits to the local community and to visitors to the area. The amenity of the area would be greatly enhanced through access and environmental improvements; all sectors of the community would have an opportunity to engage at some level with the forest through a range of practical and recreational activities; and individuals could have the opportunity to pursue small-scale forestry and farming activities and so derive income from forest-based economic activities. Local employment could be created or sustained in the commercial harvesting and extraction of timber and also in the subsequent replanting of a more diverse and environmentally sustainable forest.
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APPENDIX A – REFERENCES
1. SRDP 2007 – 2013 National Strategy, Scottish Government
2. Scottish Forestry Strategy 2006, Forestry Commission
3. Report on the Community Consultation Exercise, Acharossan Forest, Tighnabruaich, August and October 2005. Reforesting Scotland.
4. Initial evaluation of the potential renewable energy resources available to the “Forest Village” project at Acharossan by Tighnabruaich. December 2005. Robert Borusso.
5. Acharossan Community Forest Management Plan. Bob Black and Peter Quelch, June 2007
6. Kilfinan Community Forest Project – Energy Study. Renewable Energy Options and Energy Model. Robert Borusso, July 2007
7. Kilfinan Community Forest Project. Feasibility Study. First Stage Report for Fyne Homes Ltd. C Piper and Co, Locate Architects, May 2007. (Unapproved draft)
8. Northern Woodheat Firewood Marketing Study Report. Doreen MacIntyre, November 2007
9. http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/content/section/3768
10. Peter Quelch, pers comm.
11. Tighnabruaich Forest Walks and Caladh Castle Forest Trails. Forestry Commission
12. Report on the potential and practicalities of woodland crofts Woodland Crofts Steering Group January 2006
13. KCFC Housing Needs Analysis
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APPENDIX B – ACRONYMS
CHGS Croft House Grant Scheme CLU Community Land Unit FCS Forestry Commission Scotland GCA Growing Community Assets Fund HIE Highlands and Islands Enterprise KCFC Kilfinan Community Forest Company KCFP Kilfinan Community Forest Project NFLS National Forest Land Scheme NSA National Scenic Area PDA Potential Development Area RSL Registered Social Landlord SFS Scottish Forestry Strategy SNH Scottish Natural Heritage SRDP Scottish Rural Development Programme WHC Windthrow Hazard Classification YC Yield Class
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APPENDIX C. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Activities in Area:
Kyles of Bute Horticultural Society All ages
Line Dancing Classes Winter Season, 16 members (adults of all ages)
Friendship Club 16 members (senior citizens)
Scottish Country Dancing 16 members, senior citizens
Bowling Club 12 members, winter season, senior citizens
Kames Krafty Dames 25 members, senior citizens
Golf Club Mixed ages
Shinty Club Local kids and youths
Sailing School Children and youths
Masons Club All men
Probus Aging membership, struggling
Music Club All year round (>18yrs)
Tighnabruaich Players Quarterly and active seasonal performances (>18 yrs)
Kames Hotel Regular discos/parties/festivities for local adults
Tighnabruaich Hotel Live music in summer and winter months for local adults
Sailing School Currently being run down and offered as basic lessons for camping and holiday kids. Used to bring in lots of tourism and business and employment over the last 10 years.
Volunteering Groups & Organisations
The Royal National Lifeboat Association has approximately 15 active volunteers (men and women) who meet and practise twice a week and have currently saved 9 lives this year alone (The Oban Times, October 2007).
Fire Brigade is manned by 5 part-time fire-fighters and a number of volunteers. They meet once a week for training and practice.
Kings Court currently a Christian Charity which rehabilitates a small number of disengaged youths aged approx 18 – 21 or thereabouts in engaging in community work, gardening, music etc.
Abbeyfield Charity Shop - This charity shop donates its profits to The Abbeyfield Sheltered Housing Complex in Kames. Local people can move to this supported accommodation in Kames. The shop has approx 8 summertime volunteers when the shop is open every day to around 5 volunteers in winter time (open 3 days a week).
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Activities/Clubs which have closed
- Kyles in Bloom - Dead Poets Society - Kyles Greenways - Circus School - Concert Society - Youth Club - Girl Guides - Cubs/Scouts Due to dwindling numbers, insurance, lack of support and new Disclosure requirements.
Facilities include:
• Playpark for children – currently underused due to location near a busy road and proximity to sea.
• Public toilets at Kames and Tighnabruaich
• Community Halls at Millhouse, Kilfinan and Kames ((Crafty Dames, Indoor sports, Line Dancing, Art, Functions, Dances and Discos, Exhibitions, Shows, Music, Drama)
• Playing Fields (Shinty Club, football, school gym time)
• Helicopter Landing Pitch
• Floodlight Tennis Courts (kids pay £5 deposit to play)
• Churches (Kames, Kilfinan
• Public library comes once a month
• Golf Course
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APPENDIX D. CONSULTATION FINDINGS – JANUARY-MARCH 2007
The Kilfinan Community Forest Project would like to clarify that the community consultation carried out between January 2007 and May 2007 was conducted as a random and anonymous exercise to gauge general support for the project. This consultation was also to give members of the community an opportunity to identify their particular areas of interest or concern.
Please note that these results are not truly representative of the community of Kilfinan and are only indicative of that proportion of the community who responded to the survey.
Kilfinan Community Consultation Facts and Figures
Community Demographics
Age Profile 4% of respondents are under 30 35% are under 59 years of age 61% are over 60 years of age
<20 20-29 30-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 90+ 1% 3% 16% 19% 24% 29% 6% 2%
Just under 50% of respondents have lived in the village for over 21 years. 84% of respondents are full time residents
They are an active bunch with the majority of respondents engaged in community groups or societies or clubs in the area.
Marital Status 78% are married 10% are widowed 9% are single 3% have families in the area
School Roll <5 yrs 5-10 yrs 11-17 yrs 18+ 5 5 7 9
There are currently no newborn babies in the village and only 2 children in Primary 1.
Employment
17% respondents are self-employed 18% are employed full-time 55% of the community are retired 10% are employed part-time
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Occupations range across construction, gardening, retail/hotel work, childcare, tourism and manufacturing.
Recreation
Recreation Interests Respondents More Facilities Sports 9 22 Walks 69 29 Cycling 32 32 Nat Cons 26 25 Wildlife 38 24 Sailing 29 12 Swim 12 32 Dog walks 26 6 Camping 10 14 Fishing 18 9 Golf 21 5 Kids Play 6 28 Riding 2 19
Other Info
84% had heard about the project 13% had not heard about the project 3% did not respond
34% want to be kept informed.
Businesses
18% are self-employed and/or run local businesses
Housing & Ownership
74% of residents own their own detached home
14% are in rented accommodation, 9 of which feel they could not afford to buy a house in the community.
75% of the residents who own their own home are highly satisfied or satisfied with their current accommodation.
9% are unsatisfied with their current accommodation
15% would like to change their housing arrangements
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89% of respondents agreed that there is a need for affordable or sheltered housing in the area (see comments)
Travel, Transport & Energy
83% are concerned about the rising cost of fuel
NOTE The Kilfinan Community Forest Project would like to clarify that the community consultation carried out between January 2007 and May 2007 was conducted as a random and anonymous exercise to initially gauge general support of the project. This was also to give an opportunity for the community to identify their particular areas of interest or concern.
It is important to be aware that these results are not truly representative of the community of Kilfinan and are only indicative of a proportion of the community.
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APPENDIX E. INTERIM REPORT CONSULTATION – DECEMBER 2007
Feedback from Consultation
Venison & Game
Priority (Green = High/ Blue = Low) 1 x Green 10 x Blue
Comments 1. Good – because we need to control the deer 2. Need to control deer numbers for natural regeneration or reintroduce the wolf
Charcoal
Priority 2 x Green 8 x Blue
Comments 1. Great idea 2. Again, very important! As a fuel and soil improver and CARBON sequestration
Firewood
Priority 10 x Green 1 x Blue
Comments 1. this will keep folk warm when fuel costs are too expensive 2. wood firestove is certainly part of the design of my new house because wood is a reliable fuel source for energy
Renewable Energy
Priority 11 x Green 2 x Blue
Comments 1. Very important as part of a new energy mix for the future 2. It’s the future
Bunkhouse
Priority 7 x Green 5 x Blue
Comments 1. Would be good to have low budget accommodation in Tighnabruaich 2. We need this 3. Essential if Education courses can be accommodated
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Education/Skills/Learning
Priority 13 x Green 2 x Blue
Comments 1. Local kids need safe places outdoors to play and learn 2. Fundamental 3. Educating people into why this project is a good thing for them especially the partents (future for their sprogs) is the most important thing.
Woodland Management
Priority 9 x Green 0 x Blue
Comments Nil
Wildlife Tourism
Priority 8 x Green 2 x Blue
Comments 1. I think this will come naturally as the area develops 2. Good thing to promote – great opportunity
Crofts and Housing
Priority 16 x Green 0 x Blue
Comments 1. Important that the houses look “normal” to attract a broad spectrum of people who wouldn’t feel wrong to put up a sky dish etc. Has to be part of the village. 2. Need homes for skilled workers 3. It is very important to make affordable houses or plots available to make a sustainable way of life possible 4. Access to affordable housing and crofts would make a huge difference to this community
Environmental Improvement Priority 12 x Green 1 x Blue
Comments 1. Habitat for all species 2. We are part of the natural network, treat it well
Playpark
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Priority 9 x Green 3 x Blue Comments 1. A safe play park would be great – made from wood? 2. Good, it will keep kids occupied and will give them something to do!!
Milled/Woodproducts
Priority 3 x Green 6 x Blue
Comments Nil
Paths/Tracks
Priority 13 x Green 2 x Blue
Comments 1. Leisure facilities vital 2. This would be a great asset to the community and visitors 3. Essential, not much currently for kids to do, get them into the woods to get mucky on bikes
Agricultural Products
Priority 8 x Green 6 x Blue
Comments 1. Yes I am interested in buying local food, veggies, also would like to be park of growing it 2. Local food will keep local bellies full, veg, fruit, dairy
Issues/ General Points to Consider
1. Important that the community know that the Fyne Homes 10 rented houses will go ahead with or without the forest project and the community will have no control over who gets these houses. 2. Local control of who qualifies for a house. Both Fyne Homes and Self Build affordable 3. This could be mitigated by involving local people in the planning stages
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APPENDIX F. COMMUNITY SKILLS AUDIT SUMMARY
Skills area Have skills / Would like skills / experience experience Land management Estate work 9 8 Farming 6 3 Landscaping 13 6
Forestry Invasive plant control 8 5 Wood processing 6 4 Woodland management 5 5
Construction House building 11 3 House design 5 1 Roads 3 0 Site preparation 3 4
Financial / organisational Book-keeping 3 2 Fundraising events 10 2 Project management 7 0
Information Keeping records 5 0 Keyboard skills 8 1 Producing publicity materials 5 0
Creative Arts 16 1 Marketing / sales 3 1
Care work / Education Adult education 8 1 Elderly support 7 1 Pre-school children 4 1 Primary school age children 8 1 Young people age 12 – 18 4 1 Special needs 7 1
Hospitality / Tourism Sports / Marine / Leisure 7 0 Accommodation provider 5 0 Retail catering 7 1
Of the 46 returns, 23 individuals indicated that they would be interested in volunteering for the project.
Comments • I have led design teams / construction teams of several notable projects e.g. Nevis Range, Leeds Met. University Campus at Kirkstall (1018 bedrooms), Safeway (now
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Morrisons) • Local knowledge, organising fundraising events, interest in developing leisure and recreational pursuits for locals and visitors. • I have a long career doing market research - focus groups, depth interviews - often in the context of advertising. More recently we have both retrained as counsellors and hypnotherapists. • Rock drummer, Psychotherapist, more recently we have both retrained as counsellors and hypnotherapists. • Chainsaw training, brush cutter / clearing saw; timber milling • I work in the fish farm industry. Forklift driving, First aider, Building cages and mooring work • We both have a Disclosure Scotland "enhanced". • Extensive understanding of energy systems and building services. • My professional skills - languages - don't really seem relevant. I have gardening experience: scything, strimming, log-cutting with a chainsaw. I have done volunteer work clearing paths here and helping to maintain paths and planting trees with the John Muir Trust - I would be keen to do volunteer work here, if appropriate - as long as I don't have to go on some course first. • Crofting: i.e. goats produce - cheese, yoghurt, pig rearing. Organic vegetable production, pond building, basket weaving, landscaping. • Silversmith skills + general jewellery making to build business at home. (20 years ago I did silversmith course!) (will be able when our daughter starts school). There is no child care in our area. • Being retired I don't have time to develop more skills. As I am involved in many local activities I welcome the project and hope it will encourage more people to do the same. • Chain saw course, wood turning and carving, building with wood i.e. houses. • There is a long, long way to go. • For this project to succeed the local community must have control of who gets access to houses etc. • Absolutely brilliant! • We hope the project is a success. We wish you all the best with it. • We would be happy to learn more and offer our support. • My main constraint is time but can help when not at uni, travelling or other commitments. • I am interested. I support the project. As a life-long member of this community, I fully support the proposed development and any future growth of the community. • I have been given information concerning WASPS Studios (artists studios at very low rent), they want to expand the service and have £3million budget for this. Could be linked to your project in some way. Cove Park has a very high profile also although funded differently. Argyll and Bute Council sent a letter outlining the WASPS idea - called "five cubed" to develop 5 new studio buildings in 5 communities over 5 years. This includes sculpture too. It may be of no interest to you, but I wondered if linking it to your project could benefit both the funding aspect of the arts side of KCFP, and the scope of it. Cheers! • You will see from my responses to the "skills and experience" questions that I am remarkably ill-equipped to be of any assistance in the project. • Good luck!!! • I am 91 and my wife 80, therefore I can't make a contribution. My wife is still very active in her specialisations hence she has already a full programme, much of which benefits the community. • I am disabled so any contribution would most likely be done at home. I am a keen graphic designer and proficient in producing marketing materials, CD-ROMs, simple website design and photo restoration/enhancement. Anything PC based and creative!
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• Since we are rather elderly there is little practical work we could do but we support the project wholeheartedly. As a retired maths teacher who really enjoys both teaching and mathematics I would be happy to help there should help be needed. • Though I am interested in and support this project I doubt whether I could give much physical help - now being in my 70's. But would be willing to join parties for light jobs as I would enjoy being involved - health permitting. • We support the project but we are in the evening of our days and already involved in local activities to the extent that time and energy allow. We cannot realistically offer more than moral support and good wishes. • Very happy to do anything to help. • Sorry for the blank spaces but I genuinely don't have the relevant skills. By profession I'm an actor which doesn't really equip me for much else! It does of course mean that I'm quite often out of work, as is the case at the moment. I wholeheartedly support the project and if I can of any help, please let me know.
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APPENDIX G. ACHAROSSAN COMMUNITY WOODLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN – MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS
Kilfinan Community Forest Project Management Objectives
1. To utilise the timber resource of the forest in order to: • meet the needs of the local community for construction material and fuel. • create employment and new skills opportunities within the local community. • generate income for community projects. 2. To enhance the biodiversity value of the forest through: • harvesting conifers when economically mature and restocking selected sites with mixed conifers, including species known to attract red squirrel. • harvesting conifers when economically mature and restocking sites with native tree species in order to increase the area of native woodland. • leaving significant areas of clear-fell sites as open ground. • controlling rhododendron. 3. To enhance the amenity value of the forest through: • diversifying the species and age ranges of the conifer forest. • controlling rhododendron. • upgrading the Kilfinan right of way. • creating waymarked routes to viewpoints and other landscape features. 4. To conserve and enhance the landscape value of the forest by: • a gradual restructuring of the forest on the southern slopes and higher hills using • relatively small-scale access tracks, felling coupes and harvesting machinery. • allowing clear-felled coupes to revert to open hill habitat or restocking with a wider range of conifer species or with native broadleaves.
Management Proposals These are indicative prescriptions for specific operations that are likely to achieve the project objectives as identified above. For the purposes of this plan, the forest area has been divided into five compartments: 1. mostly well-grown timber suitable for commercial harvesting. 2. the 1963 plantings. 3. mostly fragmented woodland of variable timber quality. 4. native woodland. 5. open ground. Cpt. areas, as well as the possible line of access roads, are shown on map 2. Road-lines would need to be surveyed by a road engineer before being finalised.
All compartments: • ensure that the existing right of access to Tighnabruaich village is retained and that a right to haul timber along the FCS forest road to the north of the project area is secured. • Secure funding for project officer, essential machinery and training. • erect c. 3500 m. of new perimeter stock fence and maintain all fences in a stock- proof condition. • upgrade the Kilfinan right of way from the reservoir to the northern boundary with FCS; liaise with FCS over upgrading the remaining section in FCS ownership. • develop a recreational path network, encouraging visitors to use the internal roads and waymarking routes to viewpoints and other features of interest. • provide interpretation for features of interest and on the work of the forest project.
Compartment. 1: mostly well-grown timber suitable for commercial harvesting This is the woodland that should be harvested commercially. It includes stand type 1,
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except for the areas above the village (cpt 3b) and at the eastern edge of the forest (cpt.3c) . It includes areas of stand type 2 and 4 north of Coire Ban. • construct c. 2000 m. of Class A road and c. 1000m. of built forwarder track. • fell and restock over a 20 year period, using contractors. • restock mostly with Sitka spruce but include a significant proportion of mixed conifers and native broadleaves. Leave up to 20% open ground.
Compartment 2: the 1963 plantings This area would be harvested in two phases, as shown on map 2. Phase 1 (cpt 2a) would be harvested within the next two years, cpt. 2b at a later date. • using external contractors and the proposed housing access road, fell c. 25 ha. of conifers in cpt. 2a in order to provide space, materials and fuel for the proposed housing projects. • construct a forwarder track of c. 600 m. through cpt. 2a. • fell cpt. 2b. using either external contractors or community resources. • upgrade the right of way as far as the reservoir to a standard useable by tractor and trailers (1500 m. of road). • eradicate rhododendron at the same time as the coupes are harvested. • retain native trees and allow to regenerate into the felled areas. Retain a proportion of the felled areas as open ground, as required.
Compartment. 3: mostly fragmented woodland of variable timber quality Apart from the stands to the north of Coire Ban, this compartment would be harvested and restructured in phases by the community. The isolated type 1 spruce woodland (cpts. 3b and 3c) may be harvested either by the community or as a commercial undertaking, depending on how access routes are finalised and how community demand for timber develops. • construct, in phases, 2500 m. of road suitable for tractor and trailer, linking across the lower Allt Mor with the upgraded right of way and with the Class A road/forwarder track in compartment. 1. • using community-based machinery and labour, fell timber stands as needed. • restock stands with native broadleaves and mixed conifers or leave as open ground. • protect regeneration areas with internal fencing. • experiment with late thinning to create small stands for long-term retention. • monitor the progress of regeneration and take remedial action as necessary to ensure successful establishment • eradicate scattered rhododendron bushes.
Compartment. 4: native woodland • eradicate rhododendron. • encourage native woodland expansion through natural regeneration or planting in suitable sites adjacent to existing woodland.
Compartment. 5: open ground • retain existing open ground areas • remove scattered individual rhododendron bushes • monitor bracken for increased coverage. Spray bracken if there are alternative uses for the ground, e.g. stock grazing or tree regeneration.
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APPENDIX H
DRAFT JOB DESCRIPTION FOR PROJECT MANAGER POST
KILFINAN COMMUNITY FOREST PROJECT
JOB DESCRIPTION
PROJECT MANAGER Full-time (36 hours)
Salary £24,000
Profile
Motivated, self-starting, organised, flexible, people oriented, excellent listener and communicator, able to motivate and inspire, committed to sustainable development at the local level.
Purpose of Post
• To plan and co-ordinate the development activities of the Kilfinan Community Forest Company (KCFC) project.
• To identify potential funders, liaise with the funders, and develop successful funding package(s) for identified development option(s).
Accountability
The post holder will be accountable to the KCFC Board of Directors. Accountability in relation to specific tasks may be delegated to a nominated Director.
Main Tasks
1. Liaise with the Project’s Management Committee to reach agreement on the priorities, and to project plan resulting activities;
2. Liaise with project partners, and keep all stakeholders informed of progress;
3. Carry out fund-raising activities, work up funding applications and liaise with funders to secure funding packages and providing progress reports;
4. Develop a 5 year plan to schedule delivery of the project’s social, environmental and economic activities of the project
5. Co-ordination with Fyne Homes or its successor in its delivery of the Housing project.
6. Draw up a woodland management plan for Acharossan Forest.
7. Research the feasibility of, and where appropriate agree a business plan for the economic elements of the project envisaged in the initial stages of the project.
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8. Liaise with the Project Management committee, which has overall responsibility for the development.
9. Organise networking opportunities with other community groups.
10. Respond to enquiries, manage the local community email group, edit and produce newsletters and news updates.
11. Raise the profile of the Project : Liaise with media contacts and produce press releases as appropriate.
12. Procure contractor services, as appropriate, in consultation with the Board.
13. Prepare and submit funding applications, ensure funding agreements are met.
14. Prepare material for reports, presentations and other documents as required.
15. Undertake any other tasks required by the Board from time to time.
Essential experience, skills and attributes • At least 3 years’ experience of community projects; • At least 2 years’ management experience; • Able to work with minimum supervision; • Able to work effectively as a team member; • Able to prioritise tasks and balance activities; • Able to communicate appropriately and effectively with senior managers and other decision makers, peers in NGOs, community group members, existing and potential funders; • Demonstrable commitment to the ideals of grassroots sustainable development.
Desirable attributes • Familiar with the key players in the Scottish environmental and community involvement “landscape”, their respective role(s) and modus operandi; • Knowledge of funding sources, and experience of making funding applications; • Proficient PC or Mac user – word processing; spreadsheet / database; • Ready access to a car for business use, and clean driving licence.
Terms and Conditions
5 year post initially, but this period may be extended.
6 months probationary period and subject to satisfactory performance thereafter.
A minimum of 36 hours per week. The post holder will be required to work flexible hours, where necessary, to meet the demands of the post. Time off in lieu will be given.
25 days annual leave plus 8 public holidays.
Salary £24,000 p.a. Bi-annual increments subject to satisfactory performance review.
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Contributory pension scheme.
It is expected that the successful candidate will work from an office location close to their home, either in accommodation provided by a partner organisation or from home (if appropriate).
On-line computing facilities will be provided if required. Usage payments will apply should the successful candidate already possess suitable computing facilities.
Petrol and public transport costs and other expenses incurred in the course of duties (to include telephone use, consumables, postage etc.) will be reimbursed.
Applicants wishing to Job-share this post will be welcomed.
Kilfinan Community Forest Company has an equal opportunities policy to ensure all members of staff employed by the Association and all applicants for employment will be given equal opportunity irrespective of sex, marital status, race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin, in all aspects of recruitment, employment, promotion and training.
The Company is committed to giving full and fair consideration to people with disabilities applying for this post who possess the relevant skills and experience.
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APPENDIX I
PROJECTED DEVELOPMENT FINANCE
Note: The information here provides an indication of potential costs and income; it may not be complete, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Table 1. Projected Development Expenditure
Project Development Expenditure Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Totals
Employment Recruitment costs 1,000 Project Manager wages 24,000 24,000 26,000 26,000 26,000 Employer's NI 1,920 1,920 2,080 2,080 2,080 Pension (5%+costs) 1,440 1,440 1,560 1,560 1,560 Payroll services 480 500 500 520 520 Office rent/electricity/phone 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 Equipment (phone, computer, printer etc) 1,500 100 Insurance 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 Sub-total 162,260 Aftercare Training 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Development planning 7,500 Sub-total 13,000 Forest infrastructure Access roads 110,000 Timber management yard 2,000 Shed 30,000 Timber air-drying shed 2,500 Sub-total 144,500 Capital equipment Tractor with grab (second hand) 7,500 Trailer 2,500 Log splitter 15,000 Open backed truck (second hand) 5,000 Chipper 3,500 All terrain vehicle (quad bike) 5,500 Quadbike trailer 600 Hand tools 750 Chainsaw x 2 and protective gear 1,500 Sub-total 41,850 Environmental management Biodiversity plan 2,500 Survey rhododendrons 750 Rhododendron clearance 10,000 20,000 20,000 5,000 5,000 Monitor deer numbers and cull 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Sub-total 68,250
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Project Development Expenditure Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Totals Woodland Management Woodland survey & management plan 5,000 Fell conifers for firewood sales 1,350 1,650 2,000 Restocking Cpt. 2a (15ha) 33,000 Weeding/beating up cpt 2a 4,500 Sub-total 48,675 Recreational access Footpath survey 1,250 Multi-purpose tracks 112,000 All abilities path 6,250 25,000 Woodland footpaths 20,000 20,000 Entrance (fencing, gate, shelter) 2,500 Car park 2,000 Sub-total 189,000 Interpretation and education Interpretation 3,000 Arts/educational materials 1,000 Forest school / meeting place 1,000 Web promotion 500 Leaflet (5,000 print run) 1,200 Sub-total 6,700 Woodland crofts Advertising 750 Legal costs 5,000 Sub-total 5,750 TOTAL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE 70,215 217,560 276,740 66,110 49,360 679,985
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Table 2. Projected Development Income
Project Development Income Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Totals GCA Capital Funding (@ 38% of costs) 11,210 70,680 79,249 9,880 2,280 Revenue Funding (@75% of costs) 24,780 22,920 24,630 24,720 24,645 Aftercare funding (@100% of costs) 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Sub-total 307,994 HIE Community Land Unit 8,260 7,640 8,210 8,240 8,215 40,565 HIE Argyll & Islands Enterprise 450 6,700 1,220 8,370 SRDP Forest infrastructure (@ 30% of costs) 33,000 10,350 Environmental management (@ 50% of costs) 7,125 10,500 10,500 3,000 3,000 Woodland management (@ 30% of costs) 1,853 10,305 1,845 600 Recreational access (@ 50% of costs) 6,000 10,000 68,500 10,000 Interpretation & education (@ 50% of costs) 500 750 2,100 Sub-total 189,928 KCFC own contribution Sale of standing timber 38,925 Woodland crofts 60,000 Local fundraising 5,223 Income from Trading Subsidiary (see below table) 10,185 9,135 9,660 Sub-total 133,128 TOTAL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT INCOME 66,901 202,115 286,249 67,820 56,900 679,985
Table 3. Projected KCFC income from Trading Subsidiary
KCFC Income from Trading Subsidiary Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total Lease of sheds (@ 5% of cost) 1,725 1,725 1,725 5,175 Lease of equipment (@ 10% of cost) 4,185 4,185 4,185 12,555 Sale of timber for firewood 2,025 2,475 3,000 7,500 Sale of timber for wood products 2,250 750 750 3,750 TOTAL 0 0 10,185 9,135 9,660 28,980
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