U-turn on forests sale expected - The Press Association

(UKPA) – 3 hours ago

The Government is expected to abandon controversial plans to sell off thousands of hectares of forest in England.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman is to announce that a consultation into the proposals is being halted.

Instead a new panel of experts will reportedly be created to examine public access to the woodland and biodiversity issues.

David Cameron heralded the about-turn at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, when he stated bluntly that he was unhappy with the policy.

Selling more than 250,000 hectares run by the Forestry Commission was intended to give the private sector, communities and charities greater involvement in woodland.

But the suggestion has attracted cross-party opposition and sparked a public outcry. Critics argued it threatened public access and could lead to forests being damaged.

The proposals to sell England's forests were introduced as ministers felt the Forestry Commission should not be the regulator and the biggest player in the timber industry at the same time.

The move to offload the country's forests also fitted in with the "Big Society", reducing the role of government and giving communities more say in the management of their local assets.

Some £140-250 million would also have been raised from selling the leaseholds of the commercially valuable forests.

But ever since the plans were first leaked, rumours spread that development would be allowed and people would lose access to woods. The Government denied this, saying heritage forests would have been protected by being put in the hands of charities to care for them on behalf of the nation.

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