Fund to offset pressure caused by timber lorries
More than £7 million of Scottish Government funding is set to increase the levels of community, social and environmental benefit gained from projects that minimise the impact of timber lorries on rural roads.
The 2018 Strategic Timber Transport Fund (STTF), managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, has awarded more than £7 million of co-finance to projects which will improve a number of largely minor rural roads throughout Scotland or take lorries off the road with the timber being transported to market by sea.
Announcing the funding as part of the agreed Scottish budget for 2018-19, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, Mairi Gougeon, said: ‘Scotland’s burgeoning £1 billion forestry industry produces seven million tonnes of timber every year – a quantity of high quality raw material that is set to increase in coming years.
‘This timber will greatly benefit our rural economy but we must also do all we can to mitigate the impact on local communities of increased timber traffic on minor rural roads. The Timber Transport Fund is there to support projects that do just that.
‘This year’s awards go to local authorities and forest owners that have come forward with project ideas that will facilitate the sustainable transport of timber and ultimately benefit local communities and the environment.’
As well as providing these wider community benefits required under the scheme, the funding also delivers benefits to the timber processing sector.
Among the projects awarded £6.3 million of support are road, bridge and junction improvements that allow timber lorries to use those routes more safely.
Just over £1 million of funding has also been awarded to support the TimberLINK shipping service and the creation of landing craft loading areas that give access by sea to timber growing at the end of very fragile rural roads.
Roland Stiven, of the Confederation of Forest Industries, said: ‘This funding is greatly needed to improve our rural roads to suit modern land uses such as forestry. Work on minor roads such as Bunachton near Daviot in the Highlands strengthen the road surface, widen corners and provide passing places so that timber lorries can share the road with residents and business while the harvesting programme is under way.
‘The scheme is also supporting work to improve the freight capacity of busy rural A roads, vital for shifting sustainably grown timber.’