Agricultural land to a woodland - Can this be done
Discussion
In short, no! I'm doing exactly the same thing with some agricultural land just up the road from me. My objective is to turn it into a wildlife habitat, and organisations like the Woodland Trust https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/ exist solely to help you do this. You need patience though, and even though I bought the land last year, it's likely 2022 that it'll get planted up. You can, if you don't mind bureaucracy, do it without ever putting your hand in your pocket since projects like this are a godsend to any organisation that needs green credentials.
In the meantime, it's worthwile knowing that you don't have to do a damn thing and nature will take care of itself. The fields are now full of 'weeds' and self-seeded wheat, and are alive with birds, mice and deer; it really took no time at all for them to move in.
In the meantime, it's worthwile knowing that you don't have to do a damn thing and nature will take care of itself. The fields are now full of 'weeds' and self-seeded wheat, and are alive with birds, mice and deer; it really took no time at all for them to move in.
In general you do not need planning permission to plant trees on farm land. The exceptions will be if there are any special designations that effect the land in question but that should be apparent before the land is acquired. Vast majority of agricultural land doesn't have any. Woodland trust/Forestry commission provide guidance and if you want grant funding you'll have to jump through their hoops. I've got a commercial plantation which didn't require anything other then my money and time. When it comes to felling, if you get that far, then replanting like for like is a different ball game once the forestry commission get involved.
The carbon offset market is already totally saturated and there are 1000's of acres registered with the scheme and not yet sold.
There is a code of practice which was developed by the main player in the market and unfortunately you can't just plant lots of tree's and then sell the carbon offset.
Unless you have 100's of acres already I can't see it being viable. As with most things it seems to be how good you are at marketing and what business connections you have.
Good luck!
There is a code of practice which was developed by the main player in the market and unfortunately you can't just plant lots of tree's and then sell the carbon offset.
Unless you have 100's of acres already I can't see it being viable. As with most things it seems to be how good you are at marketing and what business connections you have.
Good luck!
Interesting move. Ag land vals stand at around £10k per acre. Woodland at £5-6k per acre. You'd need to derive quite a significant cash flow enhancement to offset the loss of capital value. There are some tax benefits to woodland and forestry, in that its IHT exempt I believe and the profits derived from forestry at tax free as far as I'm aware.
Tony427 said:
Say someone was going to do this abroad where land would be appreciably cheaper and regulations more "relaxed".
This cuts down on the beaurocracy and the capital losses somewhat.
Would it be possible to sell some bargain basement carbon offsetting?
Look at Sweden for forest land that's cheap, the country is 75% or more forest! This cuts down on the beaurocracy and the capital losses somewhat.
Would it be possible to sell some bargain basement carbon offsetting?
Tony427 said:
Say someone was going to do this abroad where land would be appreciably cheaper and regulations more "relaxed".
This cuts down on the beaurocracy and the capital losses somewhat.
Would it be possible to sell some bargain basement carbon offsetting?
You will probably find that the locals are all over any such scheme.This cuts down on the beaurocracy and the capital losses somewhat.
Would it be possible to sell some bargain basement carbon offsetting?
Here is the UK registry, as you will see 29 pages of sites!
https://mer.markit.com/br-reg/public/index.jsp?ent...
rustyuk said:
Tony427 said:
Say someone was going to do this abroad where land would be appreciably cheaper and regulations more "relaxed".
This cuts down on the beaurocracy and the capital losses somewhat.
Would it be possible to sell some bargain basement carbon offsetting?
You will probably find that the locals are all over any such scheme.This cuts down on the beaurocracy and the capital losses somewhat.
Would it be possible to sell some bargain basement carbon offsetting?
Here is the UK registry, as you will see 29 pages of sites!
https://mer.markit.com/br-reg/public/index.jsp?ent...
Plan B it is then. Time to buy a lottery ticket.
I'll try and keep this succinct.
Land values in New Zealand have been bid up solely because of carbon credits.
North Island, 6000 pounds a hectare, South Island 3000 pounds a hectare.
In very round figures, with carbon credits at todays value of 18 pounds each - the land will eventually produce 600 pounds per hectare per year (NI), 400 pounds a year SI.
This link explains things: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/4762/direct
With an real stroke of luck we managed to buy a 168 hectare block in Marlborough (top of South Island) for 150,000 pounds but we can only plant 90 ha of pine trees.
The carbon credits are guaranteed from the Look up Tables, eventually 40,000 pounds a year - and carbon credits could double or treble.
Kiwis tend to have extreme "short termism", hence hardly any individuals have worked out carbon credits.
And even if the ccs don't work - there will still be the land and the trees.
We also have another 58 ha of trees for carbon credits, and 15 ha for logging within a few years (then to be planted for carbon credits).
I'm 63, and the Look up Tables go out to 50 years - so that's my retirement sorted.
It cost us around 5000 pounds for council permission to plant trees on our own land - that is totally unsuitable for anything else.
Land values in New Zealand have been bid up solely because of carbon credits.
North Island, 6000 pounds a hectare, South Island 3000 pounds a hectare.
In very round figures, with carbon credits at todays value of 18 pounds each - the land will eventually produce 600 pounds per hectare per year (NI), 400 pounds a year SI.
This link explains things: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/4762/direct
With an real stroke of luck we managed to buy a 168 hectare block in Marlborough (top of South Island) for 150,000 pounds but we can only plant 90 ha of pine trees.
The carbon credits are guaranteed from the Look up Tables, eventually 40,000 pounds a year - and carbon credits could double or treble.
Kiwis tend to have extreme "short termism", hence hardly any individuals have worked out carbon credits.
And even if the ccs don't work - there will still be the land and the trees.
We also have another 58 ha of trees for carbon credits, and 15 ha for logging within a few years (then to be planted for carbon credits).
I'm 63, and the Look up Tables go out to 50 years - so that's my retirement sorted.
It cost us around 5000 pounds for council permission to plant trees on our own land - that is totally unsuitable for anything else.
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