The purpose of this paper is to give an annual update on the current position (at 1st April 2024) of the Strategic Timber Transport Fund (STTF) which supports both the Strategic Timber Transport Scheme (STTS) and the TimberLINK public service shipping contract.
Background
The STTF has been operational for 20 years this year (2024).
The original STTF of £13m was introduced in 2005 for a three year period. Subsequently, it was extended for a further three years to 2011 with an annual budget of £5m which included a maximum £1m allocation to the TimberLINK shipping service.
The fund continued thereafter with a budget of £3m/year (including TimberLINK) until 2016.
Subsequently, the SF contribution was reduced to £2.85m enhanced with an extra £5 million from Transport Scotland giving 7.85m/year until 2019.
In 2019, the SF contribution was reduced to £2 million giving £7m/year to 2020. The 2020-21 budget of £7m was increased to £8m to support Covid-19 recovery then the 2021-22, and 2022-23 budgets were both set at £7m. In 2023, the Transport Scotland contribution was reduced to £2m such that the budget became £4m in total.
Objectives
The aims and objectives of the Strategic Timber Transport Fund remain the same:
‘To facilitate the sustainable transport of timber in rural areas of Scotland for the benefit of local communities and the environment, maximising the value of monies available through innovative projects and partnerships’