Completion of seed assets transaction and update on portfolio
8 March
2022
Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company
Plc
Completion of seed
assets transaction
and update on portfolio
Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company Plc
("FSF", “the
Company”), an investment company that invests in UK
forestry and afforestation assets, today announces the completion
of its UK-wide seed assets portfolio transaction, the acquisition
of an afforestation site at Maescastell in Wales, and the
commencement of planting at Mountmill Burn, an afforestation site
in Scotland. Together, these developments represent a materially
significant milestone in FSF’s development.
Seed Portfolio
Transaction
On 7 March 2022, FSF completed the seed assets
portfolio transaction to acquire Blackmead Forestry Limited
(“BFL”) and Blackmead Forestry II Limited
(“BFL II”) from Foresight
Inheritance Tax Solution for a total cost (inclusive of tax
and other transaction costs) of £113.4 million. FSF has acquired 27
sites in total; the portfolio consists of 11 afforestation sites,
15 forestry sites and one site which is both afforestation and
forestry. By value, the acquired portfolio consists of 29%
afforestation sites and 71% forestry sites. By area, the acquired
portfolio consists of 41% afforestation sites and 59% forestry
sites. The portfolio is located across the United Kingdom and by
area is split between Scotland (80%), Wales (13%) and England (7%).
The total area of the acquired portfolio extends over 8,117
hectares, of which 4,182 hectares is stocked or stockable with
commercial conifer trees. A full breakdown of the portfolio asset
list can be found in the Appendix.
FSF continues to actively seek further
opportunities in the market and is in exclusivity and transacting
upon several additional afforestation sites. Once the acquisition
of this immediate pipeline is complete, the percentage by value of
afforestation sites in the portfolio will increase to 34%. At this
point, FSF will also be substantially invested. Successfully
developing land for afforestation (which drives returns through
capital appreciation and access to voluntary carbon credits) is a
core part of FSF’s strategy.
Portfolio Update
– Maescastell
Acquisition
FSF stated in its announcement of 25 January
2022 that the seed assets transaction consisted of 26 sites. Since
that announcement and before the completion of the seed assets
transaction, BFL acquired Maescastell, an afforestation site, for a
total cost (inclusive of tax and other transaction costs) of £0.5
million. Following this acquisition, the total number of FSF seed
assets to be acquired from BFL and BFL II increased to 27.
Maescastell adds to a synergistic collection of
afforestation properties in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The site is
located within 1km of land acquired from Cwmban Fawr Farm and
Pistyll South, both existing properties in the portfolio. The total
area of all three sites is 177 hectares, of which 158 hectares is
plantable with new forest and woodland.
Consulting closely with the local community, FSF
will now further develop the preferred planting design across the
three sites and will continue the development and application
process in line with national and regional regulations. As with all
FSF’s afforestation schemes in Wales, no arable land will be
planted on and a diverse species mix across the sites is expected
to consist of c.75% varied commercial tree species (the trees which
create maximum climate change impact) and c.25% non-commercial
broadleaves (including rare and endangered species). Each scheme
will also include un-planted open ground areas providing additional
diversity of natural habitat, complementing the forest and woodland
areas. Under FSF’s ownership, the sites are expected to deliver
material biodiversity improvements. An independent ecologist will
be appointed to evaluate the impact on biodiversity of the
finalised scheme’s design using the UK Government’s Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Biodiversity Metric 3.0
methodology. Following completion of the above, planting at all
three sites is planned to commence later this year.
Wales is one of the least forested countries in
Europe with c.14.5% of land area tree covered in 2020. As a result,
Welsh timber production is insufficient to support domestic demand,
with 80% of timber imported from outside the UK. The three sites
will contribute towards the Welsh Government’s aim to increase tree
cover in the country to c.17.8% - 20.7% by 2050. The Welsh
Government, as part of its 2050 Net Zero plan and in response to
the climate emergency which has been declared by the Environment
Minister in Wales, has a stated target to increase tree planting to
at least 2,000 hectares per year.
Portfolio Update -
Commencement of Planting
at
Mountmill
Burn
Mountmill Burn, located in Oxton, Scotland, has
now received full planning approval and confirmation of grant
funding from the Scottish Government. These are key development
milestones which have allowed planting activities to commence.
Mountmill Burn consists of 119 hectares and has a plantable area of
101 hectares. Planting at the site commenced in February 2022 and
is expected to take 6-8 weeks. The project aims to plant
approximately 240,485 trees and the commercial tree planting is
forecast to deliver 51,000 tonnes of sustainable timber production
for each c.35-year rotation. The scheme is registered on the UK
Land Carbon Registry and the Woodland Carbon Code
("WCC"). Once planting is complete, the process
for full accreditation and award of carbon units by the WCC can
take place. Once fully established, the site is expected to
sequester 21,000 tCO2 and generate associated voluntary carbon
credits.
Richard
Davidson, Chairman
of Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company,
said:
“We are delighted to have acquired the seed
assets portfolio, the Company’s most significant milestone since
listing last November. The Company is now 87% invested, with a
higher allocation to afforestation properties than we anticipated
at IPO and with an exciting immediate pipeline of attractive
additional acquisitions. FSF’s diverse portfolio (around half of
which comprises land which is or can be planted with a variety of
commercial tree species to produce home-grown sustainable timber)
will directly contribute to the afforestation targets of
governments across the UK and will generate material biodiversity
net gain, and we will continue to work hard to ensure it delivers
tangible benefits to local communities.”
Richard Kelly and
Robert Guest,
Co-Heads of Foresight
Sustainable Forestry Company,
added:
“The completion of the seed assets transaction
demonstrates execution of a crucial aspect of the early stage
business plan and secures high quality sustainable real assets for
the Company. We are also very pleased to announce the acquisition
of Maescastell. Its location and afforestation capabilities align
perfectly with our strategy and we look forward to working with the
local community to develop plans for the sites. The commencement of
planting at Mountmill Burn is another key development for the
Company and takes the total number of trees to be planted since IPO
to nearly half a million.”
Appendix: FSF seed assets
portfolio
Name |
Asset
Type |
Country |
Location |
Hectares |
Fordie
Estate |
Mixed |
Scotland |
Perthshire |
2,150 |
Whiteburn |
Forestry |
England |
Northumberland |
484 |
Auchenbrack |
Afforestation |
Scotland |
Dumfries and
Galloway |
470 |
Shorthope |
Forestry |
Scotland |
Scottish
Borders |
462 |
Aberarder |
Forestry |
Scotland |
Inverness |
448 |
Frongoch,
Brynglas & Esgair Hir |
Afforestation |
Wales |
Carmarthenshire |
416 |
Central
Scotland Portfolio |
Forestry |
Scotland |
Central
Scotland |
383 |
Coull |
Forestry |
Scotland |
Aberdeenshire |
371 |
Auchensoul |
Afforestation |
Scotland |
South
Ayrshire |
350 |
Upper
Barr |
Afforestation |
Scotland |
Dumfries and
Galloway |
343 |
Donside
Forestry Collection |
Forestry |
Scotland |
Aberdeenshire |
339 |
Annefield |
Afforestation |
Scotland |
Dumfries and
Galloway |
303 |
W&C |
Forestry |
Scotland |
Dumfries and
Galloway |
301 |
Camps
Woodlands |
Forestry |
Scotland |
South
Lanarkshire |
201 |
Banc Farm |
Afforestation |
Wales |
Carmarthenshire |
150 |
Glass
Rigg |
Forestry |
Scotland |
Dumfries and
Galloway |
139 |
Mountmill
Burn |
Afforestation |
Scotland |
Scottish
Borders |
119 |
Ellenber
Farm |
Afforestation |
England |
North
Yorkshire |
95 |
Cwmban Fawr
Farm |
Afforestation |
Wales |
Carmarthenshire |
94 |
Drumelzie |
Forestry |
Scotland |
West
Lothian |
76 |
Waun
Maenllyd |
Forestry |
Wales |
Carmarthenshire |
74 |
South
Dairy |
Forestry |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
71 |
Derry
Lodge |
Forestry |
Wales |
Ceredigion |
71 |
Bronnant |
Forestry |
Wales |
Gwynedd |
65 |
Craigwell
Wood |
Forestry |
Scotland |
South
Ayrshire |
56 |
Maescastell |
Afforestation |
Wales |
Carmarthenshire |
49 |
Pistyll
South |
Afforestation |
Wales |
Carmarthenshire |
36 |
Total |
|
|
|
8,117 |
About the Company
Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company Plc
(“the Company”) is an externally managed
investment company investing in a diversified portfolio of UK
forestry and afforestation assets. Targeting a net total return of
more than CPI +5%, the Company provides investors with the
opportunity for real returns and capital appreciation driven by the
prevailing global imbalance between supply and demand for timber;
the inflation-protection qualities of UK land freeholds; and
biological tree growth of 3% to 4% not correlated to financial
markets. It also offers outstanding sustainability and ESG
attributes and access to carbon units related to carbon
sequestration from new afforestation planting. The Company targets
value creation as the afforestation projects successfully achieve
development milestones in the process of converting open ground
into established commercial forest and woodland areas. The Company
is seeking to make a direct contribution in the fight against
climate change through forestry and afforestation carbon
sequestration initiatives and to preserve and proactively enhance
natural capital and biodiversity across its portfolio. It is
managed by Foresight Group LLP. https://fsfc.foresightgroup.eu/
For further information, please contact:
Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company
Plc Robert Guest Richard Kelly
fsfc@foresightgroup.eu |
+44 20 3667 8100 |
Jefferies International Limited Neil Winward Will
Soutar |
+44 20 7029 8000 |
Citigate Dewe Rogerson Toby Moore
(toby.moore@citigatedewerogerson.com) Dominic Tonner
(dominic.tonner@citigatedewerogerson.com) |
+44 7768 981763 +44 7540 203471 |
This announcement does not constitute, and may
not be construed as, an offer to sell or an invitation to purchase
investments of any description, or the provision of investment
advice by any party. No information set out in this announcement is
intended to form the basis of any contract of sale, investment
decision or any decision to purchase securities in the Company.
This announcement may include statements that
are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These
forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes",
"estimates", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will",
"targeting" or "should" or, in each case, their negative or other
variations or comparable terminology. All statements other than
statements of historical facts included in this announcement,
including, without limitation, those regarding the Company's
financial position, strategy, plans, proposed acquisitions and
objectives, are forward-looking statements.
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