Consultation Document
- "The Future of the Public Forest Estate in England"
PLEASE READ THIS PAGE AND START THINKING ABOUT THESE PROPOSALS
ASAP!!!
The Government has today published its consultation document
on The Future of the Public Forest Estate in England – see
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/forests/index.htm.
See also letter from DEFRA :
It’s a large document comprising a number of sections –
but it is probably the most important document that has come our
way in a long time. Briefly – the proposals divide FC owned
land into 4 categories with separate disposal suggestions for
each: (See Map for various forest designations – Hamsterley
is classified as green ie Multi-Purpose; Kielder yellow ie Large
Commercial and Chopwell blue ie Heritage.)
• Large Commercially Valuable Forests eg Kielder –
proposal is to lease these for c 150 years to the private sector
while retaining landlord requirements to safeguard key public
access and benefits (including eg mountain biking, horseriding
etc.) (See Section 3.4 of Consultation Document – pages
36 – 39)
• Small Commercial Valuable Forests – eg a small
section of the North East edge of Hamsterley, Slaley - Sell off
separately. (See Section 3.4 of Consultation Document –
page 38.)
• Multi-purpose Forests eg the bulk of Hamsterley Forest
– these are forests identified as combing timber production
with significant recreational facilities, high visitor numbers
and high levels of biodiversity. Proposals here are to offer a
‘Community Right To Buy’ where the land may be sold
or leased at the market value to community or civil society groups.
These groups would have first option to buy or lease at the market
value. If this option was not taken up within a set ‘window
of opportunity’ then FC would be free to sell the asset
to whomever they chose. Should the community group be wound up,
the land would be returned to State ownership. The group would
be free to manage it under its own objectives, subject to statutory
obligations and any lease conditions set to ensure continued delivery
of public benefits. (See Section 3.3 of Consultation Document
– pages 32 -35.)
• Heritage Sites eg Chopwell, New Forest and the Forest
of Dean – these are forests of national historical, biodiversity
or cultural (including recreational) significance. The proposal
is to transfer free of charge ownership or management to a charity
or charities via a trust arrangement or lease. The document accepts
that the charity is likely to require ongoing Government funding,
although this is expected to reduce over time as it pursued income
generating activities that were consistent with delivery of public
benefits. The charity would have to manage the forest to maintain
and enhance a variety of public benefits, as set out in the charity’s
objectives. It would have to meet existing legal commitments eg
tenancies and timber supply contracts, partnership agreements
etc. (See Section 3.2 of Consultation Document – pages 28
– 31.)
Consultation time is tight – only 12 weeks until 21 April
2011. Consultation consists of answering a number of set questions
- you have to go through the whole document to see these.
I haven’t had time to look at the document in depth, but
wanted to get the link out to you as soon as possible. We will
be having an initial discussion at the 7 February meeting of Trailblazers
(6.30pm at the Cross Keys.) Views, opinions and where to go from
here all gratefully received! One option is to call a special
meeting to discuss in detail with the object of delivering a formal
Trailblazer response. In addition FC have just advised me that
they are holding an Information Session on the proposals on Tuesday
1 March 2011 at Hexham Auction Mart – more details to follow.
So – plenty to think about over the next 12 weeks….
PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT AND START THINKING ABOUT THESE
PROPOSALS ASAP!!!
Vicky Chilcott
Secretary, Hamsterley Trailblazers
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