Bids are invited for the ‘crown jewels’ of nature

Ministers have witnessed a mass of opposition to the hugely contentious proposals which could see the vast majority of the 638,000 acres of woodland overseen by the Forestry Commission sold to raise up to £250m.

Grave concerns have been expressed after it emerged that thousands of sites of natural and historic importance in the region could be at risk as they are afforded no legal protection.

More than 1,000 conservation sites in Yorkshire are not protected by specific designations such as sites of special scientific interest.

A further 2,231 heritage sites have been identified in the region ranging from features associated with the industrial past including jet, coal and ironstone mining to stone crosses, cairns and barrows.

Fears are growing that future private owners of forests and woodlands will not preserve the habitats to the same extent as the Forestry Commission.

The MP for York Central, Hugh Bayley, will stage a public meeting in the city tomorrow to discuss the proposed woodland sell-off.

More than 100 members of the public are due to attend to hear speakers including Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s chief executive, Dr Rob Stoneman, and the Shadow Environment Secretary Mary Creagh.

Mr Bayley said: “The forests are part of our national heritage, and the Government would not even think about trying to sell the Royal Armouries in Leeds, Clifford’s Tower in York or the Crown Jewels in London.

“So why is the Government thinking about selling off nature’s crown jewels?

“This is not about the Big Society, it is about big business. Why would a community group want to buy and manage a woodland or forest which is already publicly owned?

“It simply makes no sense at all. The Government needs to drop these proposals immediately and start again with a blank piece of paper.”

The vast majority of the region’s unprotected conservation sites are located in the North York Moors National Park, which includes one of the region’s largest woodlands.

The 8,500-acre Dalby Forest is home to some of the UK’s most diverse and important habitats, although many are not protected.

Among them is the 150-acre Deepdale Nature Reserve, which was once intensively planted with conifers but has now been allowed to return to its natural state after being severely damaged by gales more than 20 years ago.

The nature reserve is an important sanctuary for wildlife, including the rare Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly.

While some of the region’s conservation sites are home to wildlife including otters and bats and are safeguarded by legislation such as the European Protected Species List, the vast majority do not have any legal protection.

The North York Moors National Park Authority’s director of conservation, Peter Barfoot, said: “The Forestry Estate in the North York Moors contains a considerable number of both scheduled and non-scheduled monuments and we consider this an important part of what makes the national park such a special place.

“We have worked closely with the Forestry Commission, who have been very good at looking after scheduled and unscheduled sites.

“This is one of the less visible public benefits that we would want to ensure continue to be protected.”

A Defra spokesman said: “As part of the consultation we’re asking how the public benefits of the estate can be best protected. The consultation sets out possible approaches which could include using the terms of any transfers or the lease conditions to ensure that these benefits are maintained.”