A BILL going through Parliament which it is feared could lead to the sell-off of public forests could also sound the death-knell of freemining in the Dean, it has been claimed.

Speaking in the House of Lords, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon said the Infrastructure Bill, if it were to become law, could be used to extinguish ancient mining rights.

Baroness Royall, Labour's leader in the Lords has been at the forefront of the campaign to exempt public forests, such as the Dean, from the effects of the Clause 23 of the Bill.

Meanwhile the campaign against the Bill locally received a setback last week when a motion to the Forest of Dean Council to back the exemption was withdrawn at the last minute.

Baroness Royal told the Lords that freemining could be at risk from an extension to the power to over easements.

She said: "It is my view and fear that freemining—ancient rights and privileges granted to Foresters by Edward I — could be caught by Clause 23 because it certainly falls within easement, liberty, privilege, right or advantage.

"Compensation would be payable in appropriate circumstances but this is little comfort to those who wish to protect our traditions and cultural heritage, who work the mines and want to maintain the right for future generations.

"If the amendment were accepted and the public forests exempted from the provisions of the Bill, the threat would fall away.

"If the public forest estate is not exempted, it remains at risk for as long as the government fail to legislate in accordance with the (Panel on Forestry's) recommendations and the government's policy as stated on January 31 2013."

Speaking for the government Baroness Kramer said the clause was not about new policy but making the mechanism of disposing of surplus land more efficient.

"The government have no intention of transferring land to the Homes and Communities Agency, as the public forest estate is currently in use and not declared surplus.

"As such, the powers will not be used in relation to this body and will therefore have no effect on it."

The motion to the Forest Council to support the exemption was withdrawn when it became unclear that Cllr Jackie Fraser (Lab, Mitchel­dean and Drybrook) who proposed it would receive backing from party colleagues.

She said: "I'm bitterly disappointed that the motion had to be withdrawn because we were hoping to get some momentum over the summer.

"There were concerns by some colleagues that it could affect the Northern Quarter development."

The motion is due to be debated at the council meeting in October.