Forestry ‘not a silver bullet but a golden opportunity’ says nature minister at CLA conference

The government is making progress improving public access to woodlands but more needs to be done, the minister for nature said at a major forestry conference this week.

Mary Creagh MP said Labour had started planting a new national forest in the West Country, the first in 30 years, during her keynote speech at the CLA, Forestry Commission and Grown in Britain’s conference at Newbury Racecourse on Wednesday.

She was among a varied line-up of speakers exploring the theme of ‘prosperity through resilience and innovation’, attended by nearly 200 foresters, land managers, farmers and other key stakeholders.

The minister told delegates that forestry was “not a silver bullet but a golden opportunity”, with trees offering people “peace, shade and joy”. When asked a question about deer and squirrel management, she acknowledged deer populations were at record highs and said the need to control numbers and eat more venison was on her radar.

CLA Director General Bella Murfin opened the conference, drawing on her background working at Defra to establish and deliver the £750m Nature for Climate Tree Programme.

Keynote speakers included Paul King, CEO of Built by Nature, who promoted the responsible use of wood in construction. He said insurance had been one of the barriers to using timber more, but his organisation had worked with brokers to publish a guide to navigate the issue. Paul said that the government’s ambition to build 1.5m homes during this Parliament presented an “enormous opportunity” as timber can help deliver sustainable development, but policy needed to incentivise and support its use.

Lord Bathurst, owner of Cirencester Park, discussed the Broad Avenue, a historic tree-lined avenue within the park that is currently undergoing restoration, and also gave an update on the park's access scheme.

He spoke of how the grey squirrel is the top pest facing the estate, with 4,000 shot a year plus 550 deer. The team has spent time exploring what can be planted that will be resilient and resistant, focusing on lime, cherry, oak and sycamore.

On the topic of innovation, in recent years the estate has opened a coffee shop, put in a car park, and last year launched its park access scheme, charging for passes to fund maintenance and conservation efforts. It now boasts circular routes, play areas, wood carving installations and child-friendly trails, boosting non-timber income.

Other speakers included Dr Joanna Scales from Innovate UK, Kate Davies of Hooke Park, Craig White from Agile Homes and Matthew Riddiford of Carbon Plantations.

The conference will return in October 2026.

Thanks to our headline partner Euroforest Silviculture, as well as supporting partners Forsters, Vigilis Tree Shelters and Tilhill Forestry.