Agenda item

Presentation by Mr James England, South of Scotland Timber Transport Officer.

The Chairman welcomed Mr James England, South of Scotland Timber Transport Officer, Mr Roland Stiven, National Timber Transport Officer and Mr Brian Young, Network Manager, Scottish Borders Council.   The presentation commenced with a short video which showed the different stages of forestry resource and management over 40 years, from tree planting to harvesting.    Mr Stiven then advised that commercial forestry covered 14% of Scotland (18.5% in the Scottish Borders). In 1976, Scotland had produced 1m tonnes of timber, rising to 7.4m tonnes in 2014, with a gross value of £1bn per annum.  The Scottish Borders had the highest concentration of forestry in the UK, producing one seventh of output.  The industry contributed significantly to the rural economy, employing 25,000 people in Scotland, of which 3,000 were employed from the South of Scotland.  90% of timber was used locally for construction, packing, fencing and landscaping.  Forests planted in the 1970s were now maturing and therefore timber production had increased and, consequently, there had been a substantial increase in timber traffic.  Mr Stiven acknowledged that there were no timber processing facilities located in the Scottish Borders.  However, these facilities were located nearby in Carlisle.  Mr Stiven further advised that timber harvested now, would be restocked as commercial forests, which were typically located in remote areas with poor access.  Therefore, the importance of maintaining and upgrading the road infrastructure would continue.  

Mr England referred to the Scottish Borders Woodland Strategy, one of the key actions of which was to address issues associated with timber transport infrastructure. He went on to advise that there was a National Timber Transport Forum and 11 Regional Timber Transport Groups, including the Scottish Borders Timber Transport Group. The Forum promoted best practice and produced guidance.  The Group included representatives from SBC, Councillors, Police and hauliers.   Mr England explained the route classification for timber transportation.   A/B routes were classified as Agreed Routes which could be used for timber transportation without restriction. Consultation Routes were B roads and minor roads, which had been recognised as being key to timber extraction but which were not up to Agreed Route standard.  Consultation with the Local Authority was required before these routes could be used.  Roads classified as Severely Restricted Routes would not normally be used and consultation with the Council was required to achieve an agreed management regime to avoid land locking of timber.  Finally, excluded routes should not be used for timber transport.  Roads were continually assessed as they improved and categories changed.  A map of the route classification was available on the Borders Timber Transport Group website at www.timbertransportforum.org.uk

Mr England and Mr Stiven then went on to discuss various initiatives which had been introduced to lessen the impact of timber transportation on the road infrastructure.  For example, working with hauliers to encourage responsible timber haulage; central tyre inflation system (CTI) which allowed the load to be lowered and therefore caused less impact on roads; vehicle tracking with speeds logged, and the ‘Wait a Minute’ campaign, which encouraged hauliers not to drive in convoy format.

There followed a discussion and a number of questions were raised.  Mr England advised that the forestry industry did contribute to the upgrading of roads, often by constructing passing places.  However, they would not fund the upgrading of a complete road.  Mr Stiven added the Scottish Government’s focus on lessening environmental impact, meant that any upgrading to roads had to be justified.   There was further discussion regarding timber transport vehicles using severely restricted routes e.g. Backdamgate, Hawick town centre and the Roberton to Craik route.  Various alternatives were suggested and Mr England noted the concerns and advised that he would investigate outwith the meeting.  He acknowledged that he did not have any statutory powers for enforcement.   However, he had positive relationships with hauliers and forestry managers and would investigate any issues.    

Mr Stiven went on to advise that Scottish Government awarded £3m each year to improve roads.  However, often the funding was only available at short notice and had to be utilised within a short timeframe, proving difficult for project delivery.   Mr Young added that the Council had to match fund schemes by 50%.  SBC had applied to Scottish Government for the last tranche of funding but had been unsuccessful. However, they continued to investigate funding streams.  Mr Stiven added that issues could also arise when landowners or forestry owners would not agree to works that impacted on their land.  He advised that the Code of Practice was voluntary and included restrictions or time limits on transportation.  Mr England concluded the presentation by advising that his role as South of Scotland Timber Transport Officer was to enable timber to reach markets with the minimum impact on communities, public roads and the environment. Any issues or concerns should be referred to him and he would be pleased to investigate to resolve any issues and examine solutions.   The Chairman thanked Mr Stiven and Mr England for their attendance and the extremely informative presentation. 

DECISION

NOTED the presentation.