Campaigners say they are not yet out of the woods

The coalition Government has announced it is putting on hold the sale of some of England’s publicly owned forest, in a sign being widely seen as nervousness over the outcry at a much larger planned disposal of woodland.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Caroline Spelman issued a statement saying the plans were under review.

But an outdoors body warned the campaign to save England’s forests was not yet out of the wood.

Huge opposition has greeted the news that ministers wanted to sell Forestry Commission land, leading to fears that leisure access and biodiversity would be put in jeopardy under private ownership.

Today’s announcement by Ms Spelman relates to the 15 per cent of public forest the Government can sell without further consultation or legislation – about 38,000ha (93,900 acres) of land. But campaigners warned the threat to access for mountain bikers, walkers and climbers remained.

The Public Bodies Bill, which would allow ministers to sell off public forests without MPs’ debate, is still passing through Parliament.

Caroline Spelman said: “In light of the Government commitment to increase protection for access and public benefit in our woodlands, the criteria for these sales will be reviewed so that protections are significantly strengthened following the inadequate measures that were applied to sales under the previous administration.

“Pending this review, no individual woodland site will be put on the market.”

But Cath Flitcroft, access and conservation officer with the British Mountaineering Council, said: “This is good news but unfortunately doesn’t stop the proposed sale of the further 85 per cent of the forest estate that we’re all still fighting to keep in public hands.

“The public consultation looking into a range of ownership and management options is still going ahead and the Public Bodies Bill, giving ministers unfettered powers to dispose of publicly owned land, is still going through the House of Lords.

“Proposals to offload 258,000ha [637,582 acres] run by the Forestry Commission have attracted cross-party criticism and a public outcry. Perhaps this is the beginning of a sensible u-turn?”

Shadow Environment Secretary Mary Creagh said: “This is a panic measure by a government which has been spooked by the huge public outcry.

“This partial u-turn will not be enough to silence the protests.”

Political campaign group 38 Degrees, which organised an online petition attracting almost half a million signatures, said on its blog: “Today we received some good news: that the Government plans to delay its forest sell-off for a few months. This shows that people powered campaigning is working.

“However, our forests are still in danger. David Cameron is still trying to pass laws that will allow the Government to sell off up to 100 per cent of our forests.

“We can’t let this happen which is why we have to keep the campaign going.”

The Ramblers’ chief executive Tom Franklin said: “We are pleased that the Government’s statement suggests an increased commitment to the protection of access in any normal forestry sale.

“However, the announcement doesn’t relate to the consultation which is already underway which could lead to the sale or leasing of all Forestry Commission land.

“We remain deeply concerned that the Government’s current vision will lead to forbidden forests, where the woodland walk, as we know it, is a thing of the past.

“We urge the Government to remove the elements of the Public Bodies Bill which give Government wide-ranging and unfettered powers to alter the Forestry Commission and call on them review the entire consultation process so that there can be a full and open debate on these issues.”

The Open Spaces Society called Caroline Spelman’s announcement ‘a tiptoe in the right direction’.

General Secretary Kate Ashbrook said: “We have said that we are opposed to any sales of public forests and woods unless the prospective purchaser has signed an agreement, legally-binding in perpetuity, to protect the woodland, maintain and create new rights for walkers, riders and cyclists, convert any pre-existing permissive access into legal access, and welcome informal access, free of charge, at all times.

“We have no evidence that the Government intends to insist on such requirements.

“The Government should withdraw those clauses from the Public Bodies Bill, now in the House of Lords, which allow ministers radically to alter the Forestry Commission.  Then there should be a long period of inclusive discussion and debate about the future of our forests and woods, which is not constrained by ministers already having decided what to do.

“Today’s announcement allows for the first step in that process.  We hope the Government will have a complete rethink of its damaging proposals.”

Opposition to the Government plans has come from quarters as diverse as the Archbishop of Canterbury, London Mayor Boris Johnson’s father Stanley and Dame Judi Dench.