Public registers and consultation on forestry projects

YouUse can access the public registers here:

• consultation register for grantto schemes,view fellingand give feedback on woodland grant proposals and Environmentalregulation Impactapplications, Assessmentduring (EIA)the applications
• public consultation period.

  Use the decision register for grantto schemes,view fellingdecisions made by the Forestry Commission on woodland grant proposals and EIAregulation decisions

applications.

HowWhat’s toon use the consultation register

You can search the consultation register for:

• grant-aided woodland creation proposals
• afforestation proposals where an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (full notification) is made
• tree felling (excluding(except those permitting thinning works, felling of cricket bat willow where like for like restocking is proposed, or where an exemption to the consultation register applies)

Grant-aidedYou woodlandcan creationview proposals and treecomment felling applications are published on thegrant-aided consultationwoodland registercreation forproposals, 21afforestation days.

Afforestationproposals proposals, where an EIA (full notification) isare made, areand publishedtree felling applications for 21a days.period of 21 days. 

During this timetime, you can provide feedback on the proposal by submitting a comment on the proposalsregister. inYour relationcomment should relate to the UK Forestry Standard requirements.requirements.  

TheOn registerthe showsconsultation register, you can find the date the applicationproposal was published and the endlast date for comments.

EIA stage 2 applications

ThisThe consultation register is also usedinforms toyou notify the public of EIA ‘stage 2’ applications for consent at the consultation stagestage.

We formay thedecide Environmental Statement. These are required where we decide, at ‘stage 1,1’ ifthat a project could have a significant effectimpact on the environment.

In theseThe instances, the project proposer ismust requiredthen to seek advice and provideproduce evidencean toEnvironmental showStatement howas thepart impactof identifieda at ‘stage 1’2’ mayapplication befor mitigated.consent. TheyThis statement will doinclude thiswritten byevidence writingabout anhow environmentalthe statement.impact may be mitigated.

WhileDetails weof assess the environmentalEnvironmental statement,Statement, we will publishbe detailson of the environmentalregister statement for public comment for a period of 30 days,days. priorWe towill makingassess ourthe finalEnvironmental decision.Statement Weand may also consult other bodies during this period, before reaching a final decision.

MoreFind more information onabout the EIA process can be found on ourthe EIA guidance page.

England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)

WeProposals publish proposals that relate to applications under EWCO are put on the register as soon as possible.

This means that the schemes may not have been checked for compliance with the UK Forestry Standard. Where schemes undergo significant change significantly, to ensure compliance with the UK Forestry Standard orand EWCO rulesrules, the proposal will be relisted toon providethe register. The public will then have 21 days forto comment.

Consultation register: which tree felling applicationapplications exemptionsare exempt?

Some felling licence applications aremay be excluded from publication on the consultation register due to an exemption.

The exemption allows proposed tree felling for an overriding biosecurity or public register,safety suchbenefit asto those:be dealt with swiftly. It includes felling licence applications that are:

• directly related to the management of tree pests and diseases
• made due to a public safety issue

This is so we can expedite the proposed tree felling for an overriding biosecurity or public safety benefit.

The exemption from the consultation public register willdoes not affect impact:

• the outcome of whether or not a tree will be felled. The exemption is intended to streamline felled
• the decision-makingneed process for fellingthe licenceForestry applicationsCommission that relate to overridingconsult biosecuritywith orstatutory publicbodies, safetywhere issues.relevant
• other However,conditions yourelated should continue to makeapproving a felling licence applications(for inexample, a timely way.

  The exclusion from the consultation public register will not impact the need to consultrestock)

For withmore statutoryinformation bodies,about whereexemptions, relevant,read andForestry doesCommission notsimplify impactfelling onlicence otherapplications conditions related to approvingprotect atrees fellingand licence, such as the need to restock. people.

How to get more information or comment on an application or get more information

Submit a comment onlineon by visiting the consultation register website. Leave your comment against the caseproposal you’re interested in.

Most applications are for forestry work on private land.

To

Request request more information,information or comment by post,post

Find you’llout needwhich tobody findis outresponsible whichfor bodythe (Forestryapplication. CommissionYou’ll see ‘Forestry Commission’ or a DefraDepartment partner)for isEnvironment, responsibleFood forand theRural application.Affairs See(Defra) thepartner fieldlisted callednext to ‘Organisation’ in the public register.

You can contactthen usfind orthe acorrect Defracontact partnerdetails.

Contact informationthe Forestry Commission or Defra partner

Forestry Commission casesproposals

Email or write to the appropriate Forestry Commission administrative hub and quoteinclude the case reference number.

Defra woodland creation delivery partner casesproposals

PleaseInclude quote the case reference number when contacting the following woodland creation partners:

• City of Trees
• Derbyshire Heartwood
• Forest of Avon Trust
• Forest for Cornwall
• Forest of Marston Vale Trust
• Forest of Mercia
• Great Western Community Forest
• Greenwood Community Forest Partnership
• Humber Forest
• National Forest Company
• North East Community Forest
• Northumberland Woodland Creation Partnership
• Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest
• Raise: Cumbria Community Forest
• Thames Chase Trust
• The Mersey Forest
• Trees on Tees
• White Rose Forest
• Woodland Trust

YourHow privacyyour personal information will be treated

Read the privacy notice on the consultation public register webpageto forfind informationout on how yourany personal information you provide will be treated, if provided.treated.

HowWhat’s toon use the decision register

ThisSearch the register showsfor details of decisions on applicationsproposals for:

• grant-aided woodland creation
• tree felling (excluding(except those onlypermitting containingthinning thinning)works, felling of cricket bat willow where like for like restocking is proposed, or where an exemption to the consultation register applies)
• EIAs on forestry projects (afforestation, deforestation, forest roads and forest quarries)

WeThe Forestry Commission or Defra partner may have consulted other bodiesbodies, and taken their views into accountaccount, before making a decision.

Decisions are published on the decision register for 28 days.

The decisionDuring registerthis showstime, detailsyou ofcan view details including:

• the project type, type
• the date the decision was made, made
• the outcome and when itthe expires.
  decision expires

NoYou commentscannot cansubmit becomments submitted on decidedthe cases.decision register.

If you feel you need to comment on a decision,proposal contacton the appropriatedecision register, contact the appropriate Forestry Commission administrative hub or or woodland creation deliverdelivery partner with the case reference number. Your comment will be forwarded to the team responsible for the original decision.

LegacyWhere to find legacy decisions

WeThe areForestry Commission is required to keep a long-term record of decisions, particularly those related to EIA cases.

ForYou individualcan grantfind scheme,legacy fellingdecisions licenceabout andthe EIAfollowing decisions, map and dataset records can be found on the Forestry Commission’s Land Information Search map browser.:

• individual grant schemes
• felling licence
• EIA
• map and dataset records

If you need more specific information about decisions that are no longer nin the decision register, email us at gr.support.england@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

ComplaintsHow to make a complaint

Firstly, find out which body (Forestry Commission or a Defra partner) is responsible for the application. You can find thatit in the public register innext theto field called ‘Organisation.’

To complain about a Forestry Commission decision, follow ourthe complaints procedure.

To complain about a Defra woodland creation partner decision, contact the organisation directly.

Contact the Forestry CommissionCommission’s support team

TheEmail publicour registerssupport areteam developedat andgr.support.england@forestrycommission.gov.uk hostedif by the Forestry Commission.you:

If

• cannot you’reaccess havingthe registers
• have problems accessing or using the registers,registers
• need require a copy of the underlying data in an accessible format (such as a csv. file), or file)
• need further information, email the support team gr.support.england@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

  Further information

Read the article on modifications to the way a limited number of felling licence applications will be dealt with by the Forestry Commission.