Agenda: Forest Services board meeting 17 July 2024
Published 17 April 2026
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Forest Services (FS) board 27th meeting, Wednesday 17 July 2024, 09:00–11:30 in person at the Burlington Hotel, Worthing and via MS Teams.
Purpose
To review key management and financial information and risks, including business plan activities, and an update on current Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issues. Discussions to focus on a Forestry Charter, evolved from the joint position statement, and on Forest Services resourcing issues.
Agenda
Invitees: Sir William Worsley, Hilary Allison, Edward Barker, Anna Brown, John Lockhart, Ross Murray, Derrick Osgood, Steph Rhodes, Richard Stanford and Sandy Storrie
Boardroom Apprentice: Ian Crawford
Presenters: Sam Malpass (item 3.4), Ian Tubby (item 4.1)
Apologies:
Minutes: Gemma Thomas
1. Welcome and Chair’s Update – Sir William Worsley
09:00 (10 mins)
Chair welcomes members to this 27th meeting of the board, and updates the board on activities across the Forestry Commission and the sector.
2. Minutes of the last meeting and declarations of interest – Sir William Worsley
09:10 (5 mins)
Agree minutes, update any recent declarations of interest and discuss matters arising.
2.1 (Paper) Minutes of the last meeting (23 May 2024)
2.2 FS Register of Interest
3. Key management and financial information
3.1 Directors’ Update – Anna Brown
09:15 (15 mins)
Consider key issues arising from the Directors’ Update.
3.1 (Paper) Directors’ Update
3.2 Risk Register and Dashboard – Anna Brown
09:30 (15 mins)
Consider key issues arising from the Risks, Issues and Opportunities Register, and from the dashboards, noting the focus for this meeting on the ‘Green Economy’ agenda.
3.2A (Paper) FS Risks and Issues Dashboard
3.2B Risks, Issues and Opportunities Register
3.2C Dashboards
3.3 Finance Report – Derrick Osgood
09:45 (10 mins)
A deep dive into FS finances AP12.
3.3 (Paper) Board Finance
3.4 Update on FS Business Plan and Spending Review Work – Sam Malpass
09:55 (25 mins)
A update on the FS business plan for 2024/25.
3.4 (Paper) FS Business Plan Update July 2024
3.4 Annex 1 – Business Plan Q1 Activity Dashboard
3.5 Defra Update – Edward Barker
10:20 (10 mins)
A verbal update from Defra.
Comfort break
10:30 (10 mins)
4. Items for discussion
4.1 The Forestry Charter – Ian Tubby
10:40 (30 mins)
A paper highlighting the work done since the FS board meeting in March on the joint Forestry Commission and Natural England position statement on woodland creation, noting its evolution into a charter. The paper includes several recommendations requiring the board’s decision.
4.1 (Paper) The Forestry Charter
4.2 FS Resourcing – Anna Brown
11:10 (15 mins)
A paper highlighting the future resourcing liabilities faced by Forest Services.
4.2 (Paper) FS Resourcing
5. Any other business – Sir William Worsley
11:25 (5 mins)
11:30 Close
Anna Brown – Director, Forest Services 10 July 2024.