Horse riders and Forestry Commission sell off

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PeterNatt

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Access for horse riders (and mountain bikers and cyclists) will be severely restricted if any
sell-offs of the Forestry Commission goes ahead.

Ramblers' and walkers' rights are enshrined in legislation so they will
not be affected. At the moment horse riders have free access to most
Forestry Commission land largely thanks to the efforts of the BHS in
securing an agreement with Forestry, known as the Concordat, in 2001.

If Forestry Commission land is sold off, the new owner will be under no obligation
whatsoever to continue to allow this access to horse riders. DEFRA has
told us this.

Not only should we all write to our MPs voicing our objections to the
proposed Sell Off but we should be lobbying to ensure that future
access for horse riders is protected by legislation as it is for
walkers.

Contact your MP now, you can do it via the 38degrees website, click
on Contact your MP. http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/speakout/contact-your-MP

Ask all your friends to do the same. If we lose the forests now, we
will never get them back.
 
Im not very good at writing letters, does anyone have a template i could use for writing about this to my mp?
We are surrounded by forestry commission land and its only only safe off road riding.
 
There aren't really any forests close to me (Macc Forest is the nearest) but I've signed and harassed my (useless) MP about it - much like I did with the Coastal Paths debate. I don't live anywhere near the coast but if it helps other riders then I don't mind!
 
They'll have to go along way to stop me from riding in my local woodland, but I'm attending a meeting about my local wood this week. The NCB sold off another piece of woodland where we ride about 6 years ago. Fences and gates went up overnight, but they gave up after a month of every rider in the area going over or through them lol.
 
Thank you for the link, I think this is absolutly shocking wether it will affect your access or not. If the ownership can be so easily changed through parliment, then how can we rely on the mp's when they say they the new private owners won't be able to fell the woodland (much of it ancient woodland)?

signed, and bump ...
 
TBH I am not 100% sure in Scotland the SNP proposed long leases of FC land as part of the Climate Change Bill but again that moves control away from FC and could cause loss of access.

Here is one response to Climate Change Bill which discusses the proposed changes in Scotland.
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/cc398.pdf/$FILE/cc398.pdf

My experience of privately owned forests in S Scotland is of locked gates and no access for horses
 
This would affect me MASSIVELY. I live on the edge of the forest and bought my house with stables at home for it's location. There would be nowhere else to ride apart from the roads!

I have signed and sent an email to my MP, and asked all my friends to as well.
 
IME Forestry Commission can be a tad difficult about allowing access for horse riding; remember ages ago when my old horse was at a livery yard they weren't content to issue a pass for the yard, oh no that would have been too easy; they had to be difficult and everyone at the yard had to pay up front for an individual pass. Result, only a few paid and they were then swopped around anyway, so a case of fingers up.

The BHS don't seem to be making a squawk about this?

Think probably best thing is for us all to harangue our MP's; petitions no blimmin good as am aware that the local councils only regard a petition with say thousands of signatures, as being ONE person. Yes, you read that right, it was on the radio recently that there was some big petition going (can't remember the issue) and the local council only registered it as ONE objection!!! Strange but true.

So I think we'd all better get writing.
 
i have emailed my mp.

i think this government is disgraceful taking away local libraries, youth clubs etc taxing us more on everything and then selling off the countries assets - makes me mad- i understand we are in a lot of debt but there must be better ways than this like getting back the money lent to the banks - they seem to have plenty to give out in bonuses.
 
I think you need to look at the Forestry Commission in a wider sense than just the horse world, important though that is. I grew up in Forestry Commission country, and I can assure you it's not a great big love affair between many people and the Commission.
a) They run at a loss - and that's yours and my money - £70m? last year
b) They are more restrictive than you think, especially towards riding
c) Their tree policy is highly suspect. Sitka spruce to the horizon is NOT how the English countryside should look

I agree that there may well be difficulties in some situations over access; but surely that is for the sellers to address - the government in general, and DEFRA and the Forestry Commission in particular
 
Rose Folly said:
I think you need to look at the Forestry Commission in a wider sense than just the horse world, important though that is. I grew up in Forestry Commission country, and I can assure you it's not a great big love affair between many people and the Commission.
a) They run at a loss - and that's yours and my money - £70m? last year
b) They are more restrictive than you think, especially towards riding
c) Their tree policy is highly suspect. Sitka spruce to the horizon is NOT how the English countryside should look

I agree that there may well be difficulties in some situations over access; but surely that is for the sellers to address - the government in general, and DEFRA and the Forestry Commission in particular
Click to expand...

And that's why (amongst other factors) I don't think selling off forests is such a bad idea. BTW, the proposed new legislation is supposed to ALLOW selling off, not just force it... you still need to find a buyer ;)
 
The thing is, Kitty, you have no way of knowing if you will lose the hacking... It's all very good saying ''don't sell'' just in case the new owner would ban horses, but in reality, these things can be worked on.
 
Much of our local land is Forestry Commission, too, although we're supposed to pay for a permit - something which I refuse to do when they allow liberal access to walkers and cyclists (and even build the cyclists special technical routes).

Much of my local economy is Equestrian-based and I know that I am far from being the only Happy hacker round here. Nowhere to ride means less horses. I can see quite an impact on local businesses. Have signed the petition and shared on Bookface.
 
If I can just explain.
As many of you know I am a volunteer BHS Bridleway/Access officer and have been doing this for many years. What we would like to see put in place before the sale of any land is access to horse riders. i.e. Public Rights of Way of a Restricted Byway status which would then be permanently open to horse riders and carrage drivers. If we don't get this agreed prior to the sale then the new owners are unlikely to entertain it. So please write to your member of public and ask them to ensure that prior to any sell-off public rights of way of no less than restricted byway status are put in place. Get as many people as possible to write in. Thank you.
 
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