THE following is an open letter to Mark Harper, MP.

'Thank-you for writing to me about my concerns for the future of the Forest of Dean.  It is indeed good news that our Forest is not be sold outright to the highest bidder, at this stage at least.

However, having read Defra's consultation paper I am not at all reassured by the current proposals for the Forest to be handed over to a "charitable trust", either new or existing.

Let me explain my concerns: Many safeguards would need to be put in place to ensure that a charitable trust maintained in perpetuity the existing nature of the Forest, with its unique character and traditions.  How is this to be achieved?  Through legislation? Through the trust's charter?  The process of doing so must of necessity be highly legalistic and hence highly expensive – to what purpose, given that the current management of the Forest by the Forestry Commission happily satisfies us, the owners of the Forest?

If a local charitable trust is set up, how will conflicts of interest be avoided?  I assume that any local politicians who have responsibility for or any involvement in planning approvals will automatically be disqualified from sitting on such a trust? This is an even greater concern given the proposals to loosen planning regulations.  There is a danger we could end up with "an old boys club" running the Forest for their own benefit and not for ours.  On that point, to whom will the trust be accountable?  Will trustees be elected?

What happens when the government subsidies (unspecified as to amount and duration) run out?  If the trust goes bust, what guarantees do we have that this or any future government will not then simply sell (or lease, same thing for practical purposes) the Forest?  Or if the trust has to avoid running at a loss, who is to control what sort of activities they put in place to raise money – who will put a ceiling on parking or access charges?  Will we have to pay to use the loos?

I note that the National Trust is being mooted as the possible existing trust to take over the management of the Forest.  While I have enormous respect for the National Trust, I believe that it would take them some time to understand and respond to the unique nature of the Forest.  In any case, I believe that in some instances at least they in fact contract out the management of their own woodlands to – guess who? The Forestry Commission!

In summary, this whole piece of thinking about the public forest estate appears to be very ill conceived.  On the Govern­ment's own admission it does nothing to get us out of the black hole of mounting debt, and in fact – with the costs of setting up all these new bodies plus the proposed additional subsidies both for tree planting and to assist the new trusts and community owners – it seems to me that this new plan will only end up costing us more.  And to what benefit? 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

– Cheryl Mayo, Brains Green, Blakeney.