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Proceeding contribution from Mary Creagh (Labour) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 2 February 2011. It occurred during Opposition day on Public Forest Estate (England).


Public Forest Estate (England)

My question is this: was it at full open market value? That is the question to which we shall return. Page 13 of the consultation document contains more warm words about public access. However, although the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, introduced by a Labour Government, provides pedestrian access to 90% of the freehold area of the public forest estate, 20% of the estate is leasehold, so CROW rights there depend on the lease. The document warns:"““So-called 'higher rights', such as cycling and horse riding, have not been dedicated.””" Ministers talk of conditions in leases, but if they lease land for 150 years, who will enforce the leases a century from now? The public forest estate makes up 18% of the woodland in England but accounts for nearly half the publicly accessible woodland. That tells us all that we need to know about public access to private woodlands.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
522 c927-8 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Staff Access Conservation Biodiversity Finance Forestry Commission Forests Ownership Privatisation English Nature Sales Rights of way Tree felling Cuts Woodland Trust
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk