Pictured above: Helen Gough of Lodders Solicitors in
Stratford-upon-Avon
A queue of potential purchasers has been thwarted by the
Government's decision to abandon its forest sell-off plans,
according to Lodders Solicitors in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Helen Gough, a lawyer in the agricultural department, said
smaller pockets of woodland could have been better off in private
hands.
And she revealed how clients had been keen to take advantage of
the proposed changes.
Noting that around 80 per cent of the UK's 2.85 million hectares
of woodland was already privately owned, she charged: "This is a
major opportunity wasted."
The proposals to offload 258,000 hectares of public forest
estate to companies, communities and charities had met with
protests and criticism from conservation groups and the wider
public and more than 500,000 people signed an online petition
against the move.
The policy would have raised £250 million.
Miss Gough said the U-turn had been "very disappointing".
She went on: "The private sector was gearing itself up for this
- we certainly had several clients who were eager to purchase in
the Midlands.
"It is a pity the market has not at least been tested and
potential buyers been given the chance to state their case and
offer re-assurances."
Miss Gough maintained the public had been largely misled.
She blamed "misrepresentation" in the media of what the
Government were actually proposing and why.
"Despite widespread and scare-mongering claims to the contrary,
sales would not have meant that public rights of way were lost as
any buyer would have bought the land subject to such rights."
Miss Gough acknowledged that 'heritage' sites such as the Forest
of Dean and Wyre Forest should remain sacrosanct.
However there were plenty of pockets of smaller woodland which
would have benefited from being sold off.
"Private individuals tend to look after woodland more
proactively as they have a vested interest in doing so."
There are also sound environmental reasons why in fact it would
have been wiser to have allowed an increase in private sector
holdings. It is important to take out older trees and thin others
to ensure proper regeneration. Efficient operation methods could
enable private woodland owners to increase the UK's production of
timber without having a negative effect on the woodland or the
environment. At present about 80 per cent of wood used in the UK
has to be imported.
For more information about Lodders, please visit their website
here: www.lodders.co.uk