Reference Committee Panel
The Forestry Commissioners regulate the felling of trees by licences, to which replanting conditions may be attached, and by serving notices requiring a person who has carried out felling without the required licence to restock the land concerned.
Reference Committees are constituted by the forestry Minister from a panel appointed for this purpose following consultations with Regional Advisory Committees and organisations representing the interests of woodland owners and timber merchants. Organisations representing the interests of woodland owners and timber merchants and organisations concerned with the study and promotion of forestry are also involved.
Licence holders and those on whom restocking notice are served are able, under the provisions of the 1967 Forestry Act (as amended), to seek a review of the licence or notice by appealing to the forestry Minister. Appeals are referred by the Minister to a Reference Committee which is formed from panels appointed for the purpose. In England, three panels are appointed covering:
- North West England
- North East England
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- West Midlands
- East Midlands
- East England
- South West England
- South East England and London
Each committee consists of three members including the Chairs.
The committee provides appellants with an opportunity of appearing before it and making representations to it on the matter in question.
Once the case has been considered by the committee, it makes recommendations to the Minister who may either accept the licence/notice as it stands or direct the Forestry Commission to amend the licence/notice.
Currently, there are only one or two cases per year that are referred to a Reference Committee. A fee of £367.77 per day is payable plus the reimbursement of travelling and certain other expenses.
If you would like to be considered for these positions, please send through your name, contact details and brief (2-3 paragraphs max) biographical information summarising your professional experience and knowledge.
Please forward these directly to Fiona Mannix at fmannix@rics.org
