Freedom of Information Request - Stobo Hope
Date: 09 September 2025
Our ref: SIR181309/A5387064
Information Request – Stobo Hope
Your Request
Please could Nature Scot provide all correspondence between itself and the following organisations in relation to the Stobo Hope Woodland creation scheme in the Scottish Borders (if any) since 17 April 2025:
- Scottish Forestry
- Scottish Government
- Scottish Ministers
- MSPs
- The Trustees of the Forestry Carbon Sequestration Fund - Apex Fund Administration (Guernsey) Ltd
- The Forestry Carbon Sequestration Fund
- True North Real Asset Partners Ltd
- Euroforest Silviculture, the new trading name of Pryor and Rickett Silviculture Ltd
- Stantec Ltd, or any related company, believed to be the ecological consultants acting for Euroforest.
- Any other company or entity.
Please ensure (if NatureScot has received these yet) all ecology reports and bird surveys are provided.
It is understood that the proposed Stobo Hope woodland creation scheme is undergoing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); has NatureScot sent all required information to Scottish Forestry and any other party in relation to the EIA? Has NatureScot received all required information from Scottish Forestry and other parties in relation to this EIA? If 'no' to either of these two points, what information is still due to be sent and received by NatureScot in relation to the EIA?
Our Response
Following a search of the information we hold our response is attached separately.
Please note, we have not received any information concerning the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), though we are expecting to be involved in a Landscape and Visual Impact assessment (LVIA). This means that EIRs Regulation 10(4)(a) (Information not held) applies to this part of your request for information.
We have marked out (redacted) personal data in the documents provided. Releasing the personal data into the public domain in response to an access to information request would breach the Data Protection Act 2018. We are therefore withholding the information under EIRs Regulation 11(2) (Personal data).
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
