3m Boost for Timber Transport Scheme

A scheme for timber transport has been given a £3m boost. The Strategic Timber Transport Fund, which was established in 2005, aims to minimize impact of transporting timber on Scottish roads.

The additional funding was announced by Environment and Climate Change Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, at the end of March. He said:

“Since its introduction, the Strategic Timber Transport Scheme has been very effective in promoting collaborative working between the timber industry and rural local authorities, greatly reducing conflict over the responsible use of the fragile rural road network to get timber to market.

“There are now solutions in place – or being worked on – across Scotland, from Eskdalemuir to the Flow Country, that have resulted in tens of thousands fewer timber journeys on public roads.

“It is a fantastic measure of success that all of the projects that have been supported have made communities, rural roads and the environment safer – and that is something the Scottish Government would like to see extended.

“This additional £3M comes at the right time. Scotland is forecast to see an increase in timber production over the next 20 years – from approximately 6.5M to potentially over 10M green tonnes per annum, which needs to be transported safely to processing facilities and with minimum environmental impact on local communities.”

The additional funding will be managed by Forestry Commission Scotland under the Strategic Timber Transport Scheme.