Aberdeen City & Shire communities invited to look at CATS
Forestry and Land Scotland is inviting communities in and around Aberdeen to consider making Community Asset Transfer (CATS) requests for small woodlands around Durris and Aberdeen.
FLS is looking to sell eleven small woodlands as part of its plan to consolidate its forest management operations and focus on the larger and well-used forests in and around Aberdeen and Lower Deeside.
Before FLS takes any steps to sell the woodlands FLS policy gives local communities first refusal. Seven community councils and other local community bodies have been advised of the proposed sales and can, should they choose, note interest and start the asset transfer process.
Woodlands where there is no community interest by 30 October 2024 will be sold on the open market in due course.
Rural Affairs Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, said;
“Buying and selling land is part and parcel of FLS’ normal business. This marries well with community organisations’ right to request to take over publicly-owned land or buildings that they feel they can make better use of for local people.
“These small woodland sales around Durris and Aberdeen present great opportunities for exploring the potential of taking on a local woodland and using it to deliver a range of benefits – from job creation and income generation, to education and skills development, and health and wellbeing.
“To date, FLS has received 35 requests and completed or approved 32 transfers around Scotland. It’s now the turn of communities around Durris and Aberdeen to take a closer look at FLS’ Community Asset Transfer Scheme and consider making a request and taking more control of shaping their future.”
FLS is rationalising its land holding in the north east to deliver on its priorities, including sustainable timber, future resilience, biodiversity value and carbon capture, landscape impacts and maintaining or increasing levels of recreation.
The woodlands being sold are set apart from FLS’ main forests and are logistically difficult to get to and to manage. The time and resource used to manage them could be targeted more effectively channelled towards managing the core forests, such as Durris.
The Community Councils that have been approached are: Crathes, Drumoak & Durris Community Council; Culter Community Council; Cults, Bieldside & Milltimber Community Council; Dyce & Stoneywood Community Council; Feughside Community Council; North Kincardine Rural Community Council; Westhill & Elrick Community Council.
We have over 90 community projects, with over 80 community bodies, with agreements or leases to use the national forests and land around Scotland.
Notes to Editors
- Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.
- The community empowerment rights apply to all land and buildings managed by FLS, which has a strong record of successful community asset transfers. These include: the Scottish Crannog Centre; Corsee Woods MTB trails at Banchory; and Dronley Wood by Auchterhouse.
- (These follow on from assets previously carried out under Forestry Commission Scotland’s National Forest Land Scheme. Transfers included Maryculter Community Woodlands (2016), Balfour and Slewdrum Woods (2006 to 2010), and Longhill Community Wood at Enzie (2016) amongst others.)
- FLS recently consulted with local communities and stakeholders on the Durris Land Management Plan and is scoping the Aberdeen Woods Land Management Plan for consultation. These reviews identified woodlands set apart from the main forest, with a more limited contribution to the plans’ priorities.
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- Media enquiries to Paul Munro, Senior Media Manager, Forestry and Land Scotland Media Office 07785 527590 or paul.munro@forestryandland.gov.scot