Ministers drop forest sell-off after outcry

THE Government was forced into a humiliating climbdown yesterday as a massive public outcry forced Ministers to abandon the controversial sell-off of England’s public forests.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman had to make a frank apology to MPs as she announced that plans to offload the nation’s public forest estate to companies, communities and charities had been scrapped.

The Government had been due to sell the vast majority of 638,000 acres of woodland overseen by the Forestry Commission to raise up to £250m to counter the national deficit.

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But during a House of Commons address, Mrs Spelman said: “I am sorry, we got this one wrong.”

The Commons was told she was halting the public consultation into the future of the forest estate, just 24 hours after David Cameron admitted he was unhappy with the plans at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Downing Street insisted Mr Cameron had full confidence in Mrs Spelman, and she had not offered to resign. She told MPs that both she and the Prime Minister had made the decision to abandon the plans.

Mrs Spelman maintained she took full responsibility for the situation over the proposals, which prompted a mass of opposition when they were published at the end of January.

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She revealed she was removing powers that would have allowed the measures to go ahead from the Public Bodies Bill currently going through Parliament.

An independent expert panel will now be established to look into future forestry policy.

Community groups, such as the Friends of Hagg Wood which was set up in 1996 to look after 107 acres of woodland at Dunnington, near York, feared they would have had to disband without the support of the Forestry Commission.

The chairman of the Friends of Hagg Wood, Dr David Mayston, said: “The Government has thankfully seen sense.

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“It is good to hear Caroline Spelman admit the Government got it wrong, but they should not have got it wrong in the first place. The whole policy was misconceived, community groups would simply not have been able to afford to buy the forests, let alone continue to run them.

“The Government has an essential role to play in overseeing issues, and that is something that the current coalition seems to be neglecting.”

The Government’s sudden change of heart was hailed as a victory for “people power”.

The Labour MP for York Central, Hugh Bayley, organised a meeting last weekend which was attended by 250 people to hear Shadow Environment Secretary and Wakefield MP Mary Creagh voice grave concerns about the sell-off.

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But Ms Creagh raised concerns yesterday about what would happen to the already announced sale of 15 per cent of the forest estate –the most the Government can sell under current legislation – which was put on hold last week pending a review.

Mr Bayley claimed the Government’s U-turn proved “campaigning does work”, but he stressed the independent panel looking at the future of the forests needed to take heed of the views of environmentalists and the public. He added: “They (the forests) are part of our national heritage, just as precious as a Turner painting or the crown jewels, and should not be sold off to the highest bidder.”

But fears remain over England’s forests amid the Government’s continuing cuts in public sector funding.

The UK’s biggest union, Unite, claimed the Forestry Commission’s work will be compromised by more than 400 job losses announced earlier this month.