HC Deb 27 June 1996 vol 280 cc241-6W
Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how much money has been raised from the sale of Forestry Commission woodland in each year since 1981; [33808]

(2) what is the percentage of Forestry Commission woodland sold with public access protected (a) from 1981 to the latest available date and (b) from 1989 to the latest available date; [33805]

(3) if he will list all Forestry Commission woodlands currently for sale, and indicate for each one which English or Welsh county or Scottish region it falls in; and if an access agreement has been made with the local authority guaranteeing continuing public access; [33806]

(4) how many Forestry Commission woodlands have been sold in each year since 1981, indicating for each year (a) the number sold without access to the public protected and (b) the number sold with access to the public protected. [33804]

Mr. Kynoch

[holding answer 20 June 1996]: The subjects of the questions relate to matters undertaken by Forest Enterprise. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. Gordon Cowie, to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Gordon M. Cowie to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 27 June 1996: The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of woodlands sold, the money received from their sale, the percentage sold with public access protected and the woodlands currently for sale. In the early years of the disposal programme no distinction was made between sales of woodland and sales of other land and properties and it is not possible to give you a breakdown of how much money has been raised specifically from the sale of Forestry Commission woodland areas for each year since 1981. However, we do know the proceeds from the sales of all our properties (including woodland areas) by year and this is shown below:-

Year ended 31 March Total receipts (£ million)
1981 4.5
1982 6.9
1983 14.6
Year ended 31 March Total receipts (£ million)
1984 23.6
1985 22.1
1986 17.0
1987 14.7
1988 13.1
1989 12.4
1990 13.0
1991 12.0
1992 14.5
1993 9.9
1994 17.4
1995 12.1
1996 14.6

You asked for information about public access from 1981 to 1989 to the latest available date. I attach a list of all woodlands sold with completed public access agreements. You asked for information from 1981 but the arrangements for public access agreements were only introduced in October 1991 and the list, therefore, only covers disposals since then. You will see that at 31 March 1996, there had been 48 sales of woodland with completed agreements totalling some 1724 hectares. In addition, there have been 13 sponsored sales to the local authority or other nominated body totalling 2644 hectares have been sold with public access protected. During the same period, there were 679 other sales totalling 35578 hectares. Sales with protected access comprised 8% of the number and 7% of the area sold.

You also asked for information about Forestry Commission woodlands currently for sale. I attach a list showing all the woodlands currently on the market with the details you have asked for and those with a continued public access (CPA) agreement being asterisked.

You asked about the number of woodlands sold since 1981 and whether they were sold with public access protected. Lists of all Forestry Commission disposals for the years 1981–1995 are placed yearly in the Library of the House of Commons and I enclose copies of these for your use. They contain details of all sales of Forestry Commission land. The numbers of sales with access to the public protected are given above.

Sales with completed public access agreements as at 31 March 1996
County/region Name Area(ha) Date sold
1993 Wales
Gwent Graig Syddi 28 November 1993
1994 England
Derbyshire Birch Wood 24 February 1994
Derbyshire Britton Wood 6 March 1994
Derbyshire Kings Lot and Longway Bank 12 March 1994
Humberside Sutton Wood 33 July 1994
North Yorkshire Gateforth East 28 March 1994
North Yorkshire Moreby Wood 33 April 1994
Wales
Clwyd Nant y Ffridd (1) 52 1June 1994
Clwyd Nant y Ffridd (2) 23 1June 1994
Dyfed Allt y Gwydre 14 March 1994
Dyfed Court Wood 19 September 1994
Dyfed Factory Wood 3 March 1994
Dyfed Taldrum Wood 5 March 1994
Dyfed Tan y Lan 32 March 1994
Dyfed Ty'r Dopa 14 April 1994
Powys Castlering 14 June 1994
Powys Granner Wood 10 August 1994
Powys Hilltop 5 April 1994
Powys Taylors Wood 42 October 1994
Powys Tir y Gof 47 December 1994

Sales with completed public access agreements as at 31 March 1996
County/region Name Area(ha) Date sold
1995 Wales
Clwyd Foel Uchaf 18 July 1995
Dyfed Blwch Newydd 8 December 1995
Dyfed Cwmere 19 June 1995
Dyfed Penfarch 24 May 1995
Dyfed Penwenallt 5 November 1995
Gwynedd Coed Glygyrogwen 110 November 1995
Gwynedd Pant y Wrach Lot 3 27 November 1995
West Glamorgan Decoy Woods 14 July 1995
Scotland
Borders Gala Blocks 127 August 1995
Grampian Lochlait Wood 90 July 1995
Grampian White Cow Wood 444 October 1995
Grampian Wood of Wrae 50 November 1995
Highland Rinuden Plantation 88 July 1995
Strathclyde Crispie 13 December 1995
Tayside Cowden Wood 20 March 1995
1996 England
Isle of Wight Timber Copse 8 January 1996
Kent Stone Wood 11 March 1996
Wales
Dyfed Pont Henri 14 March 1996
Dyfed Allt Llyn Dyfrion 11 March 1996
Gwent Coed Howell 31 March 1996
Gwent Craig Y Merchant 25 March 1996
Gwynedd Ffridd Fach Ddeiliog 17 January 1996
Gwynedd Gilrhos 29 February 1996
Gwynedd Glyn Covert 7 March 1996
Gwynedd Gwinllan Y Gaerwen 9 March 1996
Gwynedd Pentre Cogwen 9 February 1996
Scotland
Grampian Auquharney Lot 2 44 February 1996
Grampian Auquharney Lot 3 8 January 1996
Total area to date 1,724
Total number to date 48
1 One sale but agreements with two separate LAs.
List of Forestry Commission woodland areas currently for sale
England
Name of property Area (ha) CPA agreement
Berkshire
Channers Wood 15.0
Buckinghamshire
Howes Wood 5.0
Mercers Wood 6.0
Cornwall
Port Eliot 76.0
Prideaux 24.0
Treworgey Wood 17.0
Wheal Par 5.0
List of Forestry Commission woodland areas currently for sale
England
Name of property Area (ha) CPA agreement
Cumbria
Birks Wood 8.0
Chalk Plains Wood 40.0
Devon
Deershill 11.0
Knowle Wood 8.0
Hampshire
Crawley Down 28.0
Redcap and Catham 14.0
Whitelands Copse 12.0
Lancashire
Tithe Barn 8.0
Norfolk
Foulden Broom Covert 6.0
West Rudham Woods 78.0
North Yorkshire
Haxby Plantation 50.0
Hayton Wood 56.0 1
Hazel Wood 51.0 1
Hazelhead 94.0 1
Kilburn Thicket 12.0
Robsons Spring Wood 43.0
Skelton Banks 7.0
Nottinghamshire
Dilliner Wood 20.0
Roe Wood 47.0
Shropshire
Coed Detton 14.0
Somerset
Frys Wood 24.0
Higher Bitcombe 30.0
South Yorkshire
Green Springs Wood 12.0
Old Park Wood 41.0 1
Owston Wood 64.0 1
1 Indicates CPA agreement.
Scotland
Name of property Area (ha) CPA agreement
Grampian
Auchinroath Plantation 62.0
Auquharney, Lot 1 81.0 1
Badiebath Woods (B&BDC) 46.0
Balmakewan (3222M) 0.6
Highland
Craskie Woods 49.0
Creag Dhubh 97.0 1
Glencannich Wood 70.0
Kishorn Plantation 67.0 1
Muchrachd Wood 29.0
Orbost Plantation 575.0
Tor Clunes and Castle 138.0 1
Spynie
Strathclyde
Ardbecknish 119.0 1
Ardchonnell II 222.0

Scotland
Name of property Area (ha) CPA agreement
Crookedstane 347.0
Docherneil 82.5
Ford 57.0 1
Little Clyde 650.0
Tayside
Ardlebank 43.0
Dundurn 680.0
Newbigging and Braedown 413.0
1 Indicates CPA agreement.
Wales
Name of property Area (ha) CPA agreement
Clwyd
Blackthorn Covert 21.5
Coed Melin Y Moch 12.0
Gwrych Castle Woodlands 49.0
Dyfed
Allt Cil Y Llyn Fawr 2.5
Allt Hengeraint 18.6
Allt Wig Wen 8.2
Allt Y Gigfran 18.0
Brynamlwg 9.0
Byrn Wichell 15.0
Cefn Wig 19.0
Cilflower Wood 3.0
Crossway 4.5
Cruglas 6.0
Ffynon Rhys 32.2
Gelli Gwenyn 16.0
Martletwy Wood 18.0
Penhill Wood 4.0
Rhos Maes Crug 5.0
Ty'r Shyme 6.0
Gwent
Craig Yr Arail 58.0
Gwynedd
Aberdunant, Lot 5 16.5
Amnodd Wood 87.5
Cefn Glas 12.0
Cwm Prysor 56.0
Gwinllan Rhos Ddu 10.0
Rhiwbach and Tyddyn Bach 106.0 1
Powys
Y Wern 453.0 1
West Glamorgan
Craig Ynysgollen 10.0
Nant Y Stalwyn 44.0
1 Indicates CPA agreement.

Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures are being taken to improve public access in Forestry Commission land which(a) has already been sold off and (b) may be sold in the future; and what further options are currently under consideration. [33807]

Mr. Kynoch

[holding answer 20 June 1996]: We encourage private owners to allow public access to their woodlands, irrespective of whether the woodlands were previously owned by the Forestry Commission. We also provide grants to help private owners provide facilities for public recreation.

The Forestry Commission encourages public access to all its woodlands, subject only to legal constraints or considerations of safety, irrespective of whether the woodlands may be sold in the future. The commission is now increasing and enhancing its recreation facilities for day visitors; promoting access on foot by identifying its forests on Ordnance Survey maps and by placing distinctive "Walkers Welcome Here" badges at the entrances to forests; and encouraging local residents and visitors to take advantage of the many leisure activities that are possible in its woodlands.

Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the occasions on which a Minister from his Department has made policy statements about continued public access to forests when Forestry Commission land is sold off, indicating the name of the Minister and the date and context of the statement in each case. [33803]

Mr. Kynoch

[holding answer 20 June 1996]: The information is as follows: 16 June 1989, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in a statement to the House of Commons about the Government's future plans for the disposal of Forestry Commission land; 21 November 1990, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in a statement to the House of Commons about continued public access to woodlands disposed of by the Forestry Commission; September 1991, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in "Forestry Policy for Great Britain", published by the Forestry Commission; 19 July 1994, by right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in a statement to the House of Commons about the Government's conclusions from the forestry review; August 1994, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in "Our Forests: The Way Ahead", (Cm 2644); 26 March 1996, by me in a statement to the House of Commons setting out the revised procedures for protecting continued public access.

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