Question reference: S6W-24696
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 22 January 2024
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Current status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 February 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any plans by Scottish Water to create new woodlands or restore peatland; if so, how much of the land owned by Scottish Water in total will be used to (a) plant trees and (b) restore peatland, and over how many years; what the (i) size and (ii) location is of each piece of such land, broken down by local authority area; what annual budget it will make available for any such (A) planting of trees and (B) restoration of peatland; whether Scottish Water plans to apply for any Scottish Government grants to assist with any such (1) tree planting and (2) peatland restoration costs; what reports it has commissioned on any such (aa) tree planting and (bb) peatland restoration potential; what the carbon credits potential is from any such (AA) tree planting and (BB) peatland restoration, and whether it will make any related reports public.
Answer
As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:
Circa 684 Hectares (Ha) (as identified to date) of Scottish Water land is planned for peatland restoration and the work has been phased over three years – 23-24, 24-25 and 25-26. Locations identified are Lintrathen and Backwater (100Ha – Angus Council), Afton (190Ha – East Ayrshire Council) and Loch Katrine (394Ha – Stirling Council).
The annual budget will be based upon the current industry average price of restoration, some £1600 per hectare and therefore the annual budget is estimated to be £384,000 in 23-24, £464,000 in 24-25 and £262,400 in 25-26. Scottish Water will apply to the Scottish Government for grants to undertake peatland restoration. Each area has been subject to a feasibility study, ecological survey and archaeological survey in line with Peatland ACTION processes and as required for the planning application and other elements of undertaking a peatland restoration project. Scottish Water works with tenants, graziers and other interests to ensure it will deliver multiple benefits from this programme.
Scottish Water has also screened the vast majority of its landholdings for tree planting potential. This has considered water quality and water resources, land that might be needed for asset expansion, suitability of the land for tree planting and to ensure that tenant farmers activities are not adversely impacted. Potential projects are also subject to environmental and ecological assessments.
Loch Katrine represents the biggest single project across Scottish Water’s estate. Forestry and Land Scotland have submitted a Land Management Plan to Scottish Forestry for approval for the restoration of a natural woodland/open ground mosaic landscape. This will cover a 10-year period and see some 4,600 hectares of woodland creation, predominantly through natural regeneration, in addition to the 394Ha peatland restoration. The project is estimated at £4.8m over 10 years to the early 2030s and SW estimates it may to deliver up to 1 million tonnes of carbon benefit across this century through reduced losses from poor peatland and improved capture in vegetation and trees. It will also deliver improved water quality, catchment resilience to climate change and biodiversity gain.
Scottish Water’s other woodland creation is much smaller scale, predominantly associated with reservoirs and catchments. The gross cost of projects delivered to date is £650,000, which includes £123,000 funding from accessing woodland creation grants. The estimated cost of current projects is £1.3m with £480,000 woodland grant contribution expected.
Collectively across all of Scottish Water’s woodland creation projects it estimates the 60-year benefit to be circa 160,000 tonnes of carbon with additional climate resilience, water quality and biodiversity benefits.
Scottish Water’s publishes updates on its activities at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/ScottishWater/Document-Hub/Key-Publications/Energy-and-Sustainability/211223Biodiversityreport23FINAL.pdf and https://scottishwaternetzero.co.uk/ .