Ways of reducing the burdens on UK forestry businesses have been raised at a meeting between ConFor and the Gangmaster Licensing Authority (GLA).
The Forestry Contracting Association and forestry businesses were also at the meeting, which discussed each other’s views on the nature of gangmaster activity in forestry and on the impact of licensing on businesses in the sector.
Industry representatives made clear that the current operation of the licensing system was pushing many small businesses out of the sector and undermining achievement of government forestry targets.
The possibility of the forestry sector acting as a pilot industry for an enhanced risk-based approach to licensing was also discussed. This could reduce inspections and remove a significant part or all of the one-off licensing fee.
The level of the fee was also discussed, with industry representatives pointing out that the annual turnover of many businesses was far below that of the minimum £1m band. This issue will be taken up with Defra.
“The impact of gangmaster licensing on busineses in the sector has been an issue of real concern,” said ConFor chief executive Stuart Goodall.
“I hope we can work with the GLA to come up with an approach that will ensure we remain a sector that is not plagued by such activity, but that is also able to benefit from increased interest in planting, managing and harvesting trees.”
