England's woodland sell-off plan gets a partial rethink

The environment department is expected to announce that up to 80,000 hectares of woodland will be put into charitable trusts

The government is to make a partial climbdown tomorrow over proposals to sell off England's woodlands, following pressure from campaigners and Liberal Democrats. The environment department is expected to announce that up to 80,000 hectares of England's most cherished woodlands, such as the Forest of Dean and Cannock Chase, will be put into charitable trusts with the requirement that their current goals are maintained.

Government sources said the plans, to be set out in a consultation paper, had been misunderstood at the outset. Commercial forests, roughly 120,000 hectares, will be leased to the private sector, using a similar model to Scotland. Smaller parcels of woodland will offered to community groups to manage.

Reports that the government was to sell off forests led to a mass campaign by dignitaries, including the archbishop of Canterbury, the Woodland Trust and the online pressure group 38%.

One poll showed 84% opposition to a sell-off, and there are fears that leasing forests to the private sector will reduce the Forestry Commission's income.

Mary Creagh, the shadow environment secretary, accused the government of vandalism. "Their proposals will destroy the funding system which has protected England's forests for nearly 100 years. The future of many forested areas could be put at risk, and voluntary groups will be left to look after ancient woodlands without a budget."

She added: "The true value of England's forests will never be reflected in the price the Tory-led government gets from selling them."


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