Careful planning of new woodland is essential if the habitat is to survive for the coming centuries. We detail key aspects of the planning process that should be considered. At the outset it is important to define the objectives of the new woodland.

Defining the objectives:
Timber production: broadly this can embrace anything from firewood on the farm to specialist veneers from premium timber. However care must be taken at the outset to ensure that timber production is viable. The correct choice of species must be complemented by an appropriate planting density, good management, reasonable access and proximity to markets.

Landscape design:
Woods can be prominent features in the landscape and careful consideration needs to be given to the siting, layout and species choice of new woodland. New woodland that looks "natural" will have a soft irregular outline with an edge derived from shrubs. Native species common to the locality will dominate and the wood should follow contours.

Conservation:
Some new woodland is designed specifically for conservation purposes. This can include the enlargement or creation of new habitats to support crafts, fauna and flora. New woodland for conservation will typically include a range of species designed to provide differing initial habitats, even if the eventual aim is the creation of climax woodland.

Amenity:
Planting for amenity purposes usually is for recreatin or shelter but often embraces all of the above objectives as well. New woodlands reflect their owners' vision for a better environment - albeit a century or more to the future.

The site - factors to consider:
In addition to the 33 species of native tree in the UK (those that arrived naturally) there are literally hundreds of exotics that can be used for woodland planting. Many of these could prove unsuitable and specilaist advice is always worth seeking over an appropriate species mix for a given site. Below we detail the key factors to consider.

Soil type:
In a lowland situation the primary distinction amongst soils will be between calcareous and non calcareous soils. Non calcareous soils include sands, brown earths and peats. They are acidic in nature. Calcareous soils by contrast are alkaline and often overlay chalk or limestone and tend to support a narrower range of species for woodland planting. In the wetter uplands, soils are either brown earths or peat derived.

Topography:
Altitude and aspect are important determinants of the suitability of species for a new woodland planting. Summer warmth is important for some (walnut and sweet chestnut) which will require lowland south facing sites, whereas Norway spruce and common alder are particularly frost tolerant and happy in cold north facing sites.

Climate:
Interrelated with topography is climate. Some species of tree are suitable only in drier areas (Corsican pine) whereas others require wetter conditions for the most vigouros growth (Sitka spruce). In the UK the most productive forestry locations are found in the west of the country where mild wet conditions provide a long growing season. These are conditions favoured by Douglas fir and Sitka spruce.

Finance:
There are various grant initiatives to assist with the planting of new woodland. These are mostly administered by the Forest Authority although some are managed by DEFRA and local government.

Funding will normally include a capital element to cover the planting and establishment costs. In addition some grant schemes make an annual payment to reflect the loss of income from an agricultural activity.

Woodland grant schemes in the UK have been notoriously mean and this has encouraged woodland planting on the cheap (for example tree density is left too low to save costs). This is bad woodland practice that leads to poor tree form and the slow development of the woodland ecosystem.

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