HUNDREDS of York residents have united to plan the next steps in their battle against controversial Government plans to privatise forests.

York Central MP Hugh Bayley has told a meeting of campaigners in the city that last week’s decision to put the sale of 40,000 hectares of publicly-owned land on hold has not removed the threat hanging over North Yorkshire’s woodland.

While plans to sell 15 per cent of the UK’s state-owned forests have been stalled, consultation on proposals to offload the remaining 85 per cent to timber companies, charities and local communities will continue despite a massive public backlash.

Mr Bayley warned Saturday’s Save Our Forests meeting, which he organised at the Priory Street Centre, that the quest to protect North Yorkshire forests such as Dalby, Cropton, Boltby, Kilburn and Newgate Bank was far from over as the Government was “just tweaking the plans”.

“They are still going ahead with the consultation to drive Forestry Commission land to be sold,” he told the 250-strong crowd.

“Publicly-owned forests are part of our national heritage, like Clifford's Tower, York’s Strays or the Mallard in the National Railway Museum. Nobody would sell off these assets, so why are the forests up for sale?"

“The fact so many people were at this meeting shows just how important this is.”

Mr Bayley was joined by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust chief executive Dr Rob Stoneman and shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh as the area prepares its response to the forest consultation.

Mr Stoneman branded the idea of financially-stretched charities buying forests “ridiculous” and “laughable” and raised fears about wildlife in areas like Dalby becoming extinct if woodland is sold, while Ms Creagh said: “It is very important to try to join up the many, many voices and become a national movement.

“Why would we buy something we already own? That is the bottom line – this land is our land.”

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has said sales of forests will not go ahead until a review aimed at "significantly" strengthening their protection is completed, but that this will not alter the Government’s commitment to selling 15 per cent of the state’s forests over the next four years and has no impact on the consultation over the rest of the land.