A NEW woodland grant scheme is being launched by Scottish Borders Council, in an attempt to plant more trees in the region.

The grants are being made available through the Penmanshiel Compensatory Replanting Scheme for a range of woodland types, including new native woodland, productive conifer, diverse conifer, productive broad-leaf and amenity woodland.

The preferred area for a new forest would be within 20km of the Penmanshiel wind farm, near Grantshouse, to reintroduce new green areas to parts of the Borders impacted by wind farm developments, but the scheme is open to communities, farmers, foresters and land owners across the whole of the region.

And the project comes just weeks after another major wind farm development was given the green light by the Scottish government, in the Cloich forest near Peebles.

The initiative is being run by SAC Consulting on behalf of the Council and grants are being offered to help deliver benefits such as biodiversity, on-farm biomass, landscape, access and natural flood protection and water quality improvements.

Councillor Ron Smith, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Planning and Environment, said: “With the help of farmers, land managers and communities we hope new woodland created under the scheme will bring multiple benefits to our communities, including enhanced biodiversity and landscape, natural flood protection and improvements to the water quality of our rivers.

“This scheme also aims to maintain and enhance our high quality environment, including easily accessible woodland around our towns and villages and shows the benefits that can be achieved through the use of planning conditions and developer contributions.”

The programme was set up as part of a planning condition and is being funded by developers RES who specialise in renewable energy.
A total of 110ha (almost 272 acres) of new woodland will be created through the plan.

More details of the scheme can be found on SAC’s website sruc.ac.uk/pcrgs and information will also be available from their stand at this weekend’s Border Union Show at Springwood Park in Kelso.