Forestry sell off! What's the betting it's all gone before we get the chance?

RT @TelegraphNews - Ministers plan huge sell-off of Britain's forests  http://bit.ly/cRMthQ

 

Conveniently, we'll see this done in massive swathes, sold off in packages than no 'normal' individual like you or I will ever be able to afford off our own backs. Owning land has been a lifetime ambition of mine but, as each year passes, the increase in prices far outstrip the increase in savings.

 

I remember one of the first lots of land we viewed, when they were breaking up the old National Coal Board. There were thosands of acres being sold at around £40 per acre. For the rough grazing land, there were grants for tree planting (still are) and all manner of land diversification. But the lots were vast - pockets of land measuring hundreds of acres each. Not manageable pieces suitable for smallholding. (50 acres or under.)

 

There was also the selling off of all the actual smallholdings, when we would have dearly LOVED to have purchased on directly from the Ministry of Agriculture. Lovely little stone cottages with adjoining fields of just a few acres, some changing hands for less than £15,000 - at a time when we could raise mo more than £10,000.

 

Then there was a huge shift in the Scottish islands, at which point you could buy a well-maintained 3-bedroom cottage with 35 - 50 acres for around £50,000. I think, by then, we were able to raise about £40,000

 

Now here I am again, in the exact same position, only 30 years further along the road. I'm living on the edge of Britain's largest forest, (Galloway Forest, just in case you didn't know), KNOWING there are swathes of land about to be sold, but not being silly enough to get overly excited by it all!

 

As we all should know, forestry and woodland carries no inheritance tax liability and, as we all should also know, there are literally billions of pounds of rich folks' money circulating throughout a myriad of tax avoidance schemes - they MIGHT be able to kill two birds with one stone, here!

 

Sadly, my long-term predictions, about which I wrote many years ago, shall possibly be realised. Scotland will slowly lose its oil & gas drilling rights, its coal mining, steel making and ship building industries, food manufacturing will dwindle, agriculture and forestry works will slowly vanish and we'll lose our financial and electronics industries. When London expands to the extent that it has taken up over one third of England, there'll be them and us - the north will be the playing fields of the wealthy south and we'll be marketed like one massive holiday resort.

 

Take my word for it, do your homework, count your savings and GET YOURSELF SOME LAND before it runs out! If it means lumping your savings in with others, get yourselves sorted out into some sort of Limited Company or registered organisation, but don't miss what could be the final opportunity to stake your claim on your native country.

 

Our futures are based on global economies for fuel, food, medicine, even water, depending on where you currently live. Communications networks rule the airwaves and are the lifeblood of almost every industry. This self-same Government that is bringing about the break up and sell off of our forests has already pledged to bring broadband to the rural areas... is the penny dropping, yet?

 

Buying into this multi-national ownership of all that is necessary in order to sustain life is great (if you can afford it), but it won't feed and clothe you if /when it all goes wrong and you aren't part of the right machine.

 

One more soapbox ready for chopping for firewood. I'm flad they're made from recycled pallets costng only 50p each - it means I can heat my house for £3.50 per week.

 

 

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