Buying a Woodland Together – Joint Purchasing
Buying a woodland as partners or a group can make it possible for people to buy woodlands who couldn’t otherwise afford to do so. It also has the advantage of shared responsibility for ownership - sharing the work and decision-making on woodland management.
Choosing The Right People for Buying a Woodland Jointly
Choosing the right people with whom to buy is extremely important and it is a good idea to talk in detail through what each person wants from the woodland and what each person feels he or she can contribute. It is also very important to discuss what would happen if someone should want to leave the ownership group, or indeed what would happen if they were forced to give up ownership for financial or personal reasons. Usually you would want the others to have a right to buy the share of the departing owner, but you will need to decide who in the group has first option and at what price. If none of the other owners should want to buy them out, what restrictions if any are there to be on the person to whom they sell? You will also want a way of making shared decisions when not everyone agrees, especially over what will be permitted in the wood and when to sell.
Making Joint Ownership Work
You will need to decide on a mechanism to make your purchase work. One possibility, if you want to have four or fewer joint owners, is to put everyone onto the Land Registry title. The largest number you can put on is four, so if you want to go above that number you either have to have a trust structure or set up a limited liability company to own the land and then the number of shareholders and directors for the company can be as large as you wish. If you go for the company route you will probably want to have a shareholders’ agreement that incorporates your collective view on what to do when people want to sell and what to do if more money is needed for any projects or for general management. We at Woodlands.co.uk have had quite a bit of experience of people buying jointly and in the main it has worked very well. The most successful groups appear to be groups of friends where all parties are taking an active part in managing the woodland and it seems that groups of 4-7 owners work well – if it’s too large it gets hard to manage (there’s also bound to be an awkward one in a larger group of owners!). If the group is as small as three then you sometimes get the “two’s company and three’s a crowd” problem – two often get close to each other and leave the other one feeling left out.
Where to Start
If you are interested in buying woodland and have a fixed amount of capital to go towards it, such as £5,000 or £10,000, how should you find like-minded people with whom to buy jointly? One possibility is to approach the Small Woodland Association one of whose objectives is to help people buy woodlands. Another is to let us know and we will try to put you in touch with like-minded people - though obviously we don’t vet anyone and cannot be responsible for how things works out. Another possibility is to get involved in a local group such as a county conservation trust to meet others with similar interests in the countryside. Many people feel they would rather buy with people they already know and end up buying jointly with parents or siblings or grown-up children.
We have come across examples of all these arrangements and joint purchasing of woodland generally works very well.
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Discussion
July 2019 – A 1/7 share in a 20 acre woodland in Herefordshire has become available.
Guide price c.£24K. Part SSSI, managed by an active group of co-owners who meet up once a month.
Further details from [email protected]
As a Park Ranger and a Forestry Student, my heart is very much in the woodland. I am not able to purchase a woodland of my own; but would love to find somewhere local where I could become a part of something special.
I would be willing to work for free and implement my knowledge and experience to enhancing the woodland.
If anyone knows of somewhere where I could make a difference, please let me know.
Colin
Hello, I am looking for a piece of woodland in Hampshire or the surrounding areas for conservation purposes.
I have a budget of £30,000 so if anyone can help me find a piece I would be very grateful !
Thanks in advance for any help that maybe forthcoming.
Best Wishes
Nathan
Looking to buy woodland with 1-3 others in the east sussex/kent area (closer to Rye the better). I can get hold of 7-10k. Would like to manage woodland, sculpt and coppice.I have some experience coppicing.
I wouldnt know where to start looking for local woodland clubs or trusts. Can someone please point me in the right direction. I have noticed a woodland for sale in Northiam which I right on my door step but not enough money.
I wish we were into all woodland activities like that in Ireland.. as far as i know there is only one man working part time coppicing his woods… the sooner the better it takes off in Ireland.
I wrote a letter in my local paper suggesting that local people may consider purchasing land to plant a community woodland on rather than focusing on a campaign against house building. I had a great response and have since become chairman of the charity Malvern Community Forest. Our aim is to create woodland in the area once covered by the Malvern chase. An ancient forest.
We are in the process of gathering support from various councils and organisations and have had talks with the local senior planners regarding the possibility of gaining land through 106 agreements with landowners wishing to sell off land to housebuilders. Our membership is growing and we have a group on Facebookand a website is under construction. Our next step is to increase awareness of our group. If you know anyone who would be interested in becoming a member and supporting our aim please put them in touch. The minimum cost of membership is £5. Any ideas on how we can progress our aims would be greatly received.
Phil
Hi Claire and Sean
I think as you are looking for farmland, you may find
http://www.farmersguardian.com/
a useful place to look and ask
Hope this helps!
Tracy
We bought a Delta lodge in Crocketford Dumfries, now looking for 1-5 acres of woodland for pig breeding smallholding.some pasture off farmland would help.mob. 07983001898
this is a long term project,can anyone help with information?our budget at present is 10k.
I bought a small woodland for educational (forest school)and conservation purposes in 2007. I didn’t know anyone else interested in joint ownership at the time or I would have been considered this option. However since then a plethora of wonderful supportive people have gravitated towards me and I am so grateful. We run informal working parties where people bring food to share and help out with jobs and projects. Although I am the owner, a number of people will use the land in different ways and demonstrate their appreciation and commitment in kind through donations of equipment or by working. The work would have been impossible on my own. And I have yet to meet an unpleasant wood enthusiast!
Hi Patrick
You may also find that there are other woodland owners in your area, who would be happy to have you be a part of their woodland life, help with some of the work etc. while you are looking into it. It is a good idea to know what you are getting into! ( you will love it of course ;-)) My husband and I did some volunteer work while we were looking. BTCV are good for that kind of thing too.
Hope this helps!
Tracy
Many areas that i have thought about were well answered, i fall into this catagory, not enough money to comit to buy outright but as one of a likeminded group of people becoming a woodland owner seems possible.
Hi. My name is Shona. I have a community interest company called Phimfinch which is set up to support young people that do not fit mainstream education. I’m looking to purchase some woodlands with some kind people that would support this cause. I’m thinking of running camping in the woodlands to bring in some revenue and the young people will take part in looking after the site. If you are interest in working with me my email is [email protected].
Essex or Kent
Shona
19 June, 2023