Quantock Hills sites put up for sale by county council

Council-owned woods and moorland valued at £600,000 and £700,000 could be sold

Woods and moorland in designated areas of outstanding natural beauty are due to be sold by Somerset County Council.

The authority has announced its intention to sell Over Stowey Customs Common in the Quantock Hills and The Saltings at Brue Pill, Highbridge.

The campaign group Friends of Quantock said it was "very concerned" by the plans.

Land next to Crossways car park in Bridgwater is also surplus to requirements, the council said.

The council originally announced in December it was planning to sell a total of 1,950 acres of land in three areas of the Quantocks.

Details have now been announced as part of its Amenity Land Review.

The authority said money raised from the sale could be reinvested in other services such as roads and schools.

'Retrograde step'

It said anyone buying the land would have to protect public access to the sites.

Over Stowey Customs Common lies within the Quantocks Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The Saltings at Brue Pill is part of the Bridgwater Bay SSSI.

The treasurer of Friends of Quantock, Alan Hughes, said the proposed sale was a "retrograde step".

"We are very concerned to learn about this. It depends now on who buys the land.

"We're not opposed to private ownership but it is extremely important that this land is properly managed."

Other sites in the Quantocks, including Thorncombe Hill and Great Wood, could also be be put up for sale by the council later this month.

A final decision is due to be made at a council meeting on the 13 February.