Tory MP wants assurances over forest privatisation plans (From York Press)

Tory MP Anne McIntosh wants assurances over forest privatisation plans

9:05am Saturday 5th February 2011 in News By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

MOVES to privatise North Yorkshire’s forests could affect Pickering’s flood defences, a senior county MP has warned.

Hundreds of York residents have also voiced their concerns about the Government’s proposals and a shadow Cabinet minister will speak on the subject at a meeting in the city later this month.

Dr Rob Stoneman, chief executive of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, will share the platform with Labour’s environment spokesman, Mary Creagh, as the area prepares its response to the three-month consultation underway over the future of England’s forests.

North Yorkshire is home to some of the largest areas of woodland in England, including Dalby and Stilton, Cropton, Boltby and Newgate Bank forests and Kilburn woods.

The Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton Anne McIntosh, who is also chair of the Commons environment select committee, told the House of Commons that forests and woodlands provided vital flood defences, including an innovative Forestry Commission tree planting scheme to protect Pickering.

She called for Government assurances that the sell-off plans would not stop the North Yorkshire scheme or its adoption elsewhere in England, that public access to forests would be maintained and woodland would receive the investment it needs.

She also warned the status of North Yorkshire’s state forests, and therefore the protection they could receive, was unclear.

Miss McIntosh told ministers: “If the consultation is to be worth anything, the Government must listen to, and act on, the tone and content of the responses.”

Labour’s York Central MP Hugh Bayley said: “Publicly-owned forests are part of our national heritage, like Clifford’s Tower, the York Strays or the Mallard in the National Railway Museum. No one would sell off these assets, so why are the forests up for sale?”

Mr Bayley has organised the meeting at 11am at the Priory Street Centre on February 12 after more than 300 constituents contacted about the plans.