We are the Say No To Greencroft Commercial Forest group — local residents and businesses fighting to be heard. Despite our best efforts and raising serious concerns about damage to our landscape, biodiversity, and community, we’ve been ignored.

The Greencroft Forest Park scheme is being marketed misleadingly as a leisure opportunity, but it’s a commercial project with significant, lasting impacts. We’ve submitted clear evidence supporting the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), yet it was dismissed without proper review and with no detailed explanation.

Our situation is not unique. Similar legal battles are occurring at Stobo Hope and Todrig (both in Scotland), where commercial forestry projects are being pushed through without adequate scrutiny – where else is this happening?

“What is a forestry Environmental Impact Assessment?

A forestry Environmental Impact Assessment is how you, as a project proposer, can check whether your forestry project is likely to have a significant effect on the environment. Those projects that are likely to have a significant effect on the environment will require Consent from the Forestry Commission before they can go ahead.

• stage 1: apply to the Forestry Commission for its view on whether your project is likely to have a significant effect on the environment
• stage 2: apply to the Forestry Commission for Consent” www.gov.uk

The Forestry Commission / Forestry Scotland is both the applicator and authoriser of Greencroft Forest Park, Stobo Hope and Todrig.

These projects threaten our natural landscapes, the wildlife that inhabits them, the quality of our water and air and the overall health of our communities. 

The current oversight is astonishing. The Forestry Commission has admitted they do not require proposals like these to undergo the rigorous vetting of an EIA, despite the potential for severe environmental risks. This lack of accountability and transparency undermines the voices of the people who are directly affected and neglects the environmental integrity of vast regions.

We are calling to make it mandatory that Environmental Impact Assessments must be imposed on all commercial forestry applications over 5 hectares – roughly the size of 9 football pitches.

This is not just about protecting our environment; it is about safeguarding the health and well-being of our communities. Such assessments ensure that projects are scrutinised and held to account for their environmental impacts before they proceed. They offer a platform for local voices to be heard and ensure that potential risks are adequately addressed.

We urge the government and relevant authorities to make EIAs compulsory for all large-scale forestry projects immediately. Ensuring thorough assessment and community involvement is crucial to preserving our precious landscapes and resources for future generations.

Please join us in demanding necessary changes to protect our environment and communities from unchecked commercial development. Sign this petition to make your voice heard and drive crucial reform in forestry regulations.