For the first time the Woodland Trust is piloting a new business approach to creating native woodland which will help demonstrate that planting on UK farmland is economically viable.
The Purchase, Plant and Pass on scheme involves the Trust buying land, planting saplings on it and then selling it off for a profit, which is a radical change in direction from the Trust's former policy of buying the land and then managing it in perpetuity.
This change of direction has come about in a bid to make the planting of trees on farmland financially viable, which will help the charity achieve its long term goal of doubling native woodland cover in the UK.
These planted patches of land are available for businesses to buy as well as private individuals - with woodlands.co.uk being the first company to agree to purchase a PPP site.
To date 6 sites have been secured and returns of up to 7% per annum are being achieved.
James Lonsdale from the Woodland Trust who is leading the PPP project said: "Purchase, plant and pass on intends to demonstrate that you can make an acceptable financial return from creating native woodland in the UK. This is being done by the Trust buying suitable 'bare land' sites, securing income from various grant sources and planting them with native trees.
"In addition the Trust wants to enable more people to experience the pleasure of owning their own woodland so will be selling the sites on, with the aim of realising a profit, in the next couple of years.
"If this pilot is successful then this will help overcome the biggest barriers to native woodland creation, namely the perception that landowners see a reduction in income levels and a devaluation of their land if they plant native trees.
"It will also provide the evidence to support the setting up of a 'investment product' for companies and individuals to invest and we are already looking at the best mechanism to do this."
Contact us
To find out more about how your business can get involved with PPP email the Corporate Partnerships team at corporatepartnerships@woodlandtrust.org.uk on call 01476 581 111