Forest sell-off abandoned - independent panel to advise

A long-standing backlash in response to the Conservative led government plans to sell many of England’s forests, has led to the proposals being abandoned.

A consultation was due to take place over the coming weeks, however, Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, announced in the House of Commons on Thursday (17 February) that this period will be cut short.

258,000 hectares of woodland will remain state-owned, due to the policy change.

The change of direction represents a victory for the unlikely, and controversial, coalition of the disparate Conservative and Liberal Democratic parties launched in October.

A No 10 insider is reported by the Guardian to have said: "It's a cock-up. We just did not think."

David Cameron, who told MPs that he was not happy with the Government's handling of the issue, has ordered Spelman to end the consultation on plans to dispose of woodland in England run by the Forestry Commission by 2020.

Cameron has also called for an independent panel to be established to reach consensus on reforms, to improve access and biodiversity in forests. The panel will report by the autumn, advising on the future direction of forestry and woodland policy in England, on the role of the Forestry Commission and on the role of the Public Forest Estate.

The Prime Minister has also ordered for clauses in the Public Bodies Bill that would allow the Government to sell off all of England's forests, to be dropped. Under current laws only 15 per cent of forests can be sold.

"What is important is that we should be making sure that, whatever happens, we increase access to our forests, we increase biodiversity and we don't make the mistake that was made under the last government where they sold forests with no access rights at all," said Cameron.

"Opinion polls suggest over 80 per cent of the public wants to keep our woodlands in public hands for future generations,” said David Babbs, Executive Director of the campaign group 38 Degrees, one of many groups petitioning for the retention of publicly owned forests.

Spelman said that she took "full responsibility" for the plan, which provoked waves of protest that ultimately forced the coalition to make the turnaround.

"I am sorry, we got this one wrong, but we have listened to people's concerns," Spelman said.

The government has been under intense pressure since Spelman unveiled the plans last year and earmarked the Forestry Commission for substantial reform. She has faced intense criticism from Tory MPs who have been confronted by angry constituents who believe the government is showing a lack of sensitivity to national heritage and the environment.

The U-turn will raise questions about Spelman. Cameron said she failed to appreciate the perils of confronting core middle England voters. The No 10 operation at large is also under question.

In less than three months the sell-off had united organisations and individuals across the political divide, most of them fearing that the safeguards for access and wildlife would not be adequate under the sale.

More than 100 celebrities, including the archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Judi Dench, Ken Livingstone, Richard E Grant and Dame Vivienne Westwood, signed a letter opposing the sale.

Under the original plan, the coalition said that under any new ownership regime, the UK should aim to increase the area of land that is forested, in order to meet demand for sustainable timber from the construction industry and biomass power plants, which is expected to grow as a result of the low-carbon transition.

Colin Butfield, head of campaigns at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) UK, said: "We look forward to greater certainty about the future management of our forests.
"Whatever detail emerges from the independent panel, it is especially important that future plans retain FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and measures that guarantee good management, specifically for protecting habitats and biodiversity."

Image: Yellow Snow Photography | Flickr