Detailed guide: Consultation and the public registers

There are 2 pubic registers:

• The Register of Grant Schemes and Felling provides details of all woodland creation and tree felling proposals, other than those for thinning
• The Register of Environmental Impact Assessment provides details of all Environmental Impact Assessment decisions on forestry projects

Public Register of Grant Schemes and Felling

This register shows all applications for grant-aided woodland creation proposals and all applications for tree felling in England (excluding those only containing thinning). Most applications are for forestry work on private land.

There are 2 lists within the Register of Grant Schemes and Felling: the G&L Online Register and the Register of New Planting and Felling.

G&L Online Register list

This register shows tree felling and woodland creation grant applications under the English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS). This scheme has now closed and no new cases will be published.

Register of New Planting and Felling list

Applications on this public register have a ‘status’ of either FPR or CNT, indicating the stage of the proposal and whether you can comment on the case or not.

• FPR: this denotes a firm proposal. You can send us comments on how the proposals may affect you during this stage, which lasts for 28 days. We consider any comments and review them with the applicant. If appropriate, the application may be amended or rejected. If you are a consultee with whom we regularly confer (such as a local authority or statutory body) then we will write to you with details of the forestry proposal and to invite you to comment via letter, email or through the public register.

• CNT: if we approve the application then the details of the approved application are displayed for information for 28 days. Proposals at this stage are not open to comment.

How to get information or submit a comment on an application on the Register of New Planting and Felling

• Click on the case reference in the ‘Ref’ column.
• You will be presented with a map of the forestry project location. There’s a help facility denoted by a question mark that provides guidance on how to use the map controls.
• Click on the ‘i’ icon and then click on the relevant area on the map for basic details of the forestry project.
• Contact your local Forestry Commission Admin Hub if you require more information on the proposal. You will need to quote the case reference number (shown in the ‘Ref’ column). Note that personal information contained in the application (such as the applicant’s name and contact details) will not be included when we provide copies of information. If the copy is large or requested regularly then we may charge a fee for this service.

Comments on applications must be submitted in writing, by email or by letter to the appropriate FC Area office clearly quoting the case reference number. They should relate to the proposal’s compliance with the UK Forestry Standard. The Register of New Planting and Felling is updated weekly, usually on a Monday, and you have 28 days from when the case first appears on the register to submit your comments. Comments received after the closing date will not be considered.

How we consult about grant and felling applications

Before deciding whether to approve applications for woodland planting or tree felling, the Forestry Commission may consult with local authorities and other organisations with statutory powers over land use and land use change. We will write to these bodies to seek their views on the appropriateness of the proposals, and their advice may result in proposals being amended or rejected.

The Forestry Commission will also use this consultation phase to determine if any other consents or permissions are required to enable the project to proceed, and will liaise with the applicant and the statutory body in order to seek agreement on the works required.

Public register of Environmental Impact Assessment

The Forestry Commission assesses the environmental impact of proposals that fall under any of the 4 EIA (Forestry) Regulations: afforestation (new planting), deforestation, forest roads and forest quarries. The Register of Environmental Impact Assessment shows decisions that the Forestry Commission has made during the assessment process.

The register shows details of individual cases in 3 following stages: opinion, consultation on Environmental Statement and Determination.

Opinion

The Forestry Commission’s opinion on whether the project is likely to have a significant impact on the environment and therefore requires our consent. Opinions are displayed on the EIA Register for 28 days. Case details are for information only, and there is no opportunity to comment.

Where a project is likely to have a significant effect on the environment, the applicant is required to apply for EIA consent if they wish to proceed with the project. To do so, they must submit an Environmental Statement that analyses the impact of the project on the environment. The proposed work cannot proceed without consent from the Forestry Commission. Where an applicant does apply for consent, 2 further stages will be shown on the EIA register:

Consultation on Environmental Statement

As part of determining whether consent for the project will be granted or refused, a 30-day period of consultation takes place on the Environmental Statement. Comments on environmental statements must be submitted in writing, by email or by letter to the appropriate FC Area office, clearly quoting the case reference number shown on the Public Register. They should relate to the proposal’s compliance with the UK Forestry Standard and how you will be affected by the proposal.

Determination

The final decision stage is when the Forestry Commission decides whether to grant or refuse consent for the project, after reviewing the Environmental Statement and the feedback collected through the consultation. Information at this stage is presented for information only to show the Forestry Commission’s decision and will be displayed for 28 days.