Supplementary Guidance - Forest & Woodland Strategy

Purpose & Scope of Guidance

The Adopted Forest & Woodland Strategy Supplementary Guidance (2020) (PDF, 3 MB) provides guidance relating to the Perth and Kinross Local Development Plan (2019) Policy 40: Forestry, Woodland and Trees, and will be used in the assessment of planning applications. The Guidance has been updated to align with the recently adopted Local Development Plan (2019) and changes to national policy particularly the publication of the Scottish Forestry Strategy (2019-2029). Please download the Guidance document for full interactivity of the maps.

The purpose of the Perth and Kinross Forest and Woodland Strategy is to:

• Provide a strategic framework for the development of forestry in the area
• Provide a local interpretation of the Scottish Forestry Strategy
• Ensure a balance of forestry with other land uses by identifying appropriate locations for a variety of types of woodland expansion and management practice
• Ensure forestry activity contributes across the range of Council policy objectives
• Ensure that the public benefits of managing and expanding the area's forest estate are optimised

The Guidance was approved by the Council's Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the 29 January 2020 and submitted to Scottish Ministers for consideration on 3 February 2020. Following the necessary adoption procedures, the Supplementary Guidance has now been formally adopted by the Council.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

As part of the process we have to consult NatureScot, SEPA and Historic Environment Scotland on whether the plan, programme or strategy is likely to raise issues of significant environmental impact.

We sent our Screening Report (PDF, 516 KB) to the consultation authorities to determine whether the supplementary guidance is likely to have significant effects on the environment on 27 June 2019.  You can also view the responses from the consultation authorities:

• Screening Response - HES (PDF, 200 KB)
• Screening Response - SEPA (PDF, 60 KB)
• Screening Response - SNH (PDF, 154 KB)

Having consulted the three consultation authorities, and having considered the criteria set out in the Act, the Council considered that the Forest and Woodland Strategy Supplementary Guidance is unlikely to have significant environmental effects and has therefore decided that SEA is not required. You can also view the Screening Determination (PDF, 150 KB).