So much for England’s green and pleasant land. This week the Government is to begin its consultation on a bill that would allow the sale of the entire public forest estate in England – essentially transferring power from the Forestry Commission, which owns 18 per cent of England’s woodlands, to the private sector.
Support is growing for the opposition, with nearly 90 public figures, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Dame Judi Dench, signing Save England’s Forests’ letter to the Government, alongside a public petition organised by 38 Degrees.
And we have right to be incensed. Last year, when the proposal was first aired, environment minister Jim Paice offered frank evidence to a House of Lords select committee, admitting foreign companies might want to buy-up the trees across the 635,000-acre for renewable energy. Is there anything that isn’t for sale?
Scotland and Wales have already ruled out privatisation of their woodland. Their trails are safe.
The Government insist the sale will boost public control – David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ – but what control do we, the public, have over a sale? The Forestry Commission’s overall estate is valued at £2bn. And even a small section of woodland would be beyond the means of most small communities. It’s naïve to think the sale can’t lead to England’s forests being exploited, be it by energy companies, developers or those who just want to restrict access.
We in Great Britain are already trailing our Continental neighbours in terms of high tree cover. “Germany has 25 per cent cover, France 26 per cent, Italy 24 per cent and Britain a pitiful 4.5 per cent,” said retired publisher and prolific tree-planter Felix Dennis. An already overcrowded land is in need of protection.
The Forestry Commission manages woodland that comprises 13 trail centres across England, from Grizedale in the north-west to Bedgebury in the south-east. And, more importantly, don’t forget the endless natural trails that exist in our protected forests. Exploration – slinging on a backpack, dusting off the bike and hacking out into the forest – is the essence of mountain biking.
With more than 185,000 signatures on 38 Degrees’ petition, ministers have launched a charm offensive, claiming any sale will come with legal safeguards to protect both bio-diversity and public access.
And, playing devil’s advocate, who’s to say selling publicly-owned woodland won’t lead to added investment in existing and new trails centres? Unlikely? I reckon so. And past examples – the Forestry Commission has long sold small sections of woodland – don’t help the Government’s case.
The 40-acre Rigg Wood, part of Grizedale Forest, visited by 200,000 people a year was sold for £116,000 in October.
“Although the new owners are obliged to continue to allow walkers on the land they have been able to close the car park, remove picnic benches and put up fences, making it much more difficult for people to access the woodland in future,” said Paul Townsend, who helped to set up the Save Lakeland’s Forests campaign.
“What has happened at Rigg Wood should serve as a warning to people across the whole country as to what will happen if we allow our forests to be sold off.”
So heed the warning. Sign the petition, lobby your MP – who has the power to vote against the bill in Parliament – and make your voice heard.
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