Delay of forest sale is ‘not a U-turn’ say campaigners

The delay relates only to 15 per cent of the forests that are due to be sold as part of the spending review commitment. It doesn’t include the sale of heritage forests such as the Forest of Dean, which the Government wants to pass from public ownership into the control of new or exisiting charitable trusts.

There has been widespread criticism of the decision to sell all of the land that is currently owned by the Forestry Commission in England. The Government is allowed, under current laws, to sell 15 per cent of this land without further legislation. This would make an estimated £100 million.

Selling the remaining 85 per cent requires new legislation in the form of the controversial Public Bodies Bill, which is currently going through the House of Lords.

Statement

In a statement today the Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman said; “In light of the Government commitment to increase protection for access and public benefit in our woodlands, the criteria for these sales will be reviewed so that protections are significantly strengthened following the inadequate measures that were applied to sales under the previous administration.”

The Government is still committed to selling 15 per cent of the public forest estate over the next four years and is also still consulting on the remaining 85 per cent of the forest estate.

The consultation can be seen here http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/forests/index.htm

The Shadow Environment Secretary, Labour MP Mary Creagh said the delay showed the Government had been ‘frightened’ by the reaction to the sell-off plan. She said; “This is a panic measure by a Government which has been spooked by the huge public outcry. This partial U-turn will not be enough to silence the protests.”

Campaigners unconvinced

The campaign to keep the forests in public hands has had support from many of the key countryside groups as well as celebrities, from Dame Judi Dench to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

An online petition from campaign group 38 degrees to stop the sell-off has got nearly half a million signatures.

One of the largest groups is Hands off the Forest of Dean, who say they are considering legal action against the consultation on the sell off because it has come after the Public Bodies Bill has started going through Parliament.

Press spokesman Owen Adams told Channel 4 News that the delay is not enough for the campaigners. He said; “This is not a climbdown or a U-turn. We just see it as a face-saving measure. If they had gone ahead with this sale, which they are entitled to do, it would have just gone to the highest bidder and it would have led to criticism of the wider sale of the heritage forests.”

He said the main concern for his group was still to stop the proposal in the Public Bodies Bill that would pass the ancient heritage forests out of public hands, saying he believed there is no public support for the Government’s plans: “We think the vast majority of the public want to keep the status quo. This is a very unpopular proposal.”

In a YouGov poll recently, only 2 per cent of the public said they wanted the forests to leave public ownership.

‘Fundamental flaw’

The Government has previously said the ”primary reason” for the sell-off is to ensure they are better protected in the future.

But Julian Lewis, Conservative MP for the New Forest, one of the ancient woodlands that may be affected by the plan, said woods will be left completely unprotected if the transfer to charities goes ahead. Speaking to Channel 4 News he said; “The New Forest has an annual deficit of £2.9million. If the New Forest is handed over to a charitable trust there is no guarantee that any future Government will help with that burden, even if they promise to do so now. This is a fundamental flaw that cannot be escaped.”

But he said there are some grounds to believe that the Government will eventually backtrack on the proposals; “The Government would be wise to allow itself to use the escape route of its consultation. If the overwhelming majority of people say it shouldn’t happen then they have the opportunity to say the people have spoken.”

He added; “The Government is building up huge grief for itself for limited and questionable financial savings.”