SEVEN out of Oxfordshire’s eight Government forests could be sold under controversial plans.

The Government has included 321 hectares of land in the county, equivalent to more than 400 football pitches, among sites it could sell to the highest bidder.

These are Queen Wood, Cowleaze and College Wood, near Watlington; Burnt Platt, Greyhone and Ipsden Woods, near Nettlebed; and Crowsley Park, near Henley.

Only 136 hectares, at Bernwood near Waterperry, are not classed as “commercial” by the Government, which is consulting on the proposals.

The UK estate currently brings in £60m a year from wood sales.

The national plans were criticised by Little Wittenham-based Sylva Group, which campaigns on woodlands issues.

Sylva Group chief executive Dr Gabriel Hemery said: “Two- thirds of all the woodlands in England are potentially not being managed, and worse still, possibly moribund.”

He added: “Timber is Britain’s sixth largest import. We could help the nation’s finances hugely by managing woodlands properly.

“There are some good news stories, but our worry is the Forestry Commission, with all its expertise and experience, will be weakened.”

He said forests were being hit by more pests and disease, and the group was concerned whether private firms could manage this effectively.

And he said he was concerned that cash from the sale was not going back into woodlands, but was being used for other environmental projects such as flood defences.

A group of West Oxfordshire residents urged communities to follow their example and bid for woodland.

The Wild Garden and Wood Company at Shipton-under-Wychwood raised £70,000 to buy land at Shipton Court to reopen to the public.

Company chairman Mike Watson said: “The place is so close to the hearts of so many of us that we decided to buy it when we heard it was for sale.

“And the previous owner, who also loved it deeply, was keen to save it for the community.”

Director Jeremy Huntingford said: “It’s incredible what the villages of Shipton and Milton came up with without being particularly rich villages, although there are one or two very well-off people here.”

Money has been spent on gates and tree surgery, and further funds are being sought to carry out further work on ponds and a canal.

Some 200 members have paid a one-off £20 fee to support the group, a registered charity.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: “Once we have listened to people’s views, and the views of Parliament, we will reach a final decision on the classification of each woodland and set this out in Government’s final response to the consultation.”

The Defra consultation runs until April 21 and can be found on the website defra.gov.uk