BrewDog and Gresham House forestry investment comes under fire

That's the view of a former Scottish Labour leader, who has also criticised the use of taxpayers' cash to fund non-native, commercial forestry planting in the country. 

Richard Leonard made the remarks during a forestry debate in the Scottish Parliament this week, in which the sector was widely praised for its contribution to life in Scotland and the nation's net-zero goals.

However, some MSPs suggested long-standing tensions between farmers and trees were being exacerbated by the current push to create more hectares of woodland. 

READ MORE: Tory MSP hits out at 'relentless tree-planting drive'

He said: "If we take our land and our forestry, what we are witnessing is not an extension of community ownership but an explosion of corporate ownership. When it comes to forestry subsidies, over a quarter of a billion pounds has been awarded since 2015, and 95 per cent of that has gone to private interests. Much of it has gone to rich individuals and organisations.

"Over half of that money is still going to subsidising the planting of non-native highly profitable conifers, so it is no good SNP and Green ministers lodging motions in this Parliament about biodiversity and native woodland when, under their watch, out in the real world, nothing much changes.

Richard Leonard

"There is also BrewDog, a privileged new nobility masquerading as philanthropic punks, and Standard Life Investments Property Income Trust, which has recently acquired thousands of acres in the Cairngorms national park, not for the common good but as a speculative asset.

"Then there is the Gresham House forestry fund, which is bankrolled by the Scottish National Investment Bank.

"Its business objective is not to plant trees or save the planet but to aid the super-rich in avoiding paying taxes—income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax.

"Of course there should be public investment in woodlands and the public subsidy of forestry, but what is happening is that the money is almost all going to already mega-wealthy individuals and organisations." 

BrewDog is on the world's best-selling drink firms (Image: Newsquest)

Managing roughly 140,000 hectares of forestry worth more than £1.8 billion across the UK, Gresham House is the country's largest commercial forestry manager. The business also manages a forestry mandate in Ireland.

Mr Leonard added: "Forestry grant systems and tax breaks are private wealth funds for the few, paid for by the many." 

Other points discussed during the debate included: 

• The announcement of a review into future grant support for forestry 
• Whether the country is getting the balance right between native and non-native planting 
• The important contribution the sector is making to life across Scotland 

Speaking to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Mairi McAllan, the forestry minister, announced a review of the Forestry Grant Scheme would get underway next year. 

She said: "In doing this I am keen to ensure that we get the right tree in the right place and improve community engagement in the process.

“I want to see the Forestry Grant Scheme evolve by building on the current approach and successes and by invigorating the support that is provided.

Mairi McAllan announced the grant scheme would be reviewed next year

“A strengthened grants scheme will better support the forest industries by ensuring future timber supplies. It will also improve our environment, work better for our communities and ensure integration with all other land use sectors.”

Forestry Journal will have more from the debate across our channels, and an in-depth feature in December's magazine.