Delamere Forest needs your help!
Delamere Forest, as you know it, is in danger. The coalition government is already pushing through the 'Public Bodies Bill' which will give it 'enabling powers' to sell Forestry Commission owned land to the highest bidder.
The government, faced with growing pressure form the public, has began a consultation process designed to give the public some say in what form the sell-off will take. However, given that it has already announced 450 redundancies in the Forestry Commission and the fact that it is pushing through massively unpopular legislation with no mandate, its intentions appear perilously clear. The powers created by this Bill, if passed, that would be vested solely in Ministers. The Save Our Forests campaign states "The passing of the Public Bodies Reform bill will enable the Secretary of State to dispose of our woodland without further consultation."
We believe Delamere Forest needs special protection from the powers that be. The government is being ominously vague about the individual classification of any given forest. It's possible that Delamere's great history and scientific importance will be overlooked and it may be classified as a 'multi-purpose forest'. Stephen O'Brien MP has asserted that he will make the case that Delamere is a 'heritage forest'. It is pledged that this category will receive special protection under any reforms. However, being unable to make such guarantees, we believe he is asking us to take a huge gamble on our forest's future. Despite this, his attempts at the Delamere Parish Council meeting to reassure us that the 'enabling powers' are all well and good, would appear to indicate that he supports the government's plans to push forward with their widely disliked proposals. Mr O'Brien was absent from the last parliamentary vote. See how your MP voted and contact them - we need them on side!
Delamere Forest is in 2 parliamentary constituencies, Eddisbury and Weaver Vale. Hatchmere and the northern part of Delamere Forest Park are in the Weaver Vale. With Linmere and the main car parks in Eddisbury. The CWAC website map is useful to see the boundary.
What's the long-term danger?
Well, if the government get their way with the Public Bodies Bill, and it seems they will (after winning the first parliamentary vote), then this paves the way to the unthinkable.
Delamere Forest could be sold or leased to a private company and we could lose our rights to visit OUR forest. The government pledges that rights of way would remain unaffected by these plans under CROW (Countryside Rights of Way Act). However, CROW only covers access on foot. By the government's own admission, access by cycle or horse would be entirely up to the new owners.
The coalition clearly fails to realise the importance of activities such as riding, mountain biking, orienteering, dog walking, and organised runs such as Hellrunner. These activities have tremendous significance to our wellbeing and diversity of lifestyle. In addition to recreation, Delamere provides a training ground for our Search and Rescue teams and is home to several businesses. If right of way by cycle was prohibited, how would TRACS the popular bike rental business continue at all? The summer pop concerts that many enjoy would also be under threat and many could lose their jobs.
With government proposals currently a massive grey area, what's to guarantee that local people would still have access? It's not beyond possibility that Delamere Forest could become an inaccessible, tarmac laden holiday village.
Contribute!
So how do we stop this from happening? It' time we made ourselves heard. We have an amazing forest that needs to be preserved for our enjoyment and that of our children. Let's be less typically English on this topic and make as much noise as we can possibly muster. Post your comments in our blog and ask your friends to do the same. We can create a permanent record of how we feel and present it to 'big government' whenever they pose a threat to the forest we love. Spread the word and keep checking back for updates...
Visit the blog regularly for updates
What's this website for?
This website is intended to be the Save Delamere HQ! At the moment support is evidently strong for our campaign but it is also very fragmented. Having a central source of information will enable everyone to know where to look for news and opinion. Our campaign can now gather momentum and gain publicity quickly. We'll also get this website listed on Google so that more people can find us easier. The website will also allow us to get in touch with one another and make valuable connections. We very much need to pull together and save Delamere Forest before it's too late.