Confor CEO on planting delivery group

Confor's Chief Executive will play a key role in the group, which will use the recommendations in the Mackinnon report to speed up the pace of new woodland creation by streamlining processes and reducing bureaucracy. 

Tim Liddon of Tilhill Forestry, which has been at the vanguard of large new planting schemes in Scotland - including Jerah - is the second Confor representative on the delivery group. 

Other members include Jo O'Hara, Head of Forestry Commission Scotland, who will chair the group, as well as Shireen Chambers of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and Nick Halfhide of Scottish Natural Heritage. 

Mr Goodall said: "My focus in this group will be on maintaining the tremendous momentum and enthusiasm for new planting that has been built up, and to look very specifically at how we use the Mackinnon recommendations to get more trees into the ground. 

"The Mackinnon report emerged from Confor’s request to bring someone with a planning background and experience to drive improvements to the process of approving planting schemes, and with Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing’s support we will press for early adoption of the key recommendations that we believe will turn applications into new forests." 

Full details of the group, the Mackinnon recommendations and a delivery schedule can be found here