Romsey’s MP has vowed to fight the Government’s plans to sell off the nation’s woodlands.

She and her Tory neighbour, Julian Lewis (New Forest East), voted again’s Commons debate on the sale of the nation’s forests.

Mrs Nokes told the Advertiser: “This is not just about access to woodlands, but about protecting our forests for future generations. The Government is making a huge mistake.

“Thursday’s debate and motion was not the end of the road. It was just the beginning. The Government is storing up a lot of trouble for itself with this.”

She said she would be working with fellow Tory, Zac Goldsmith, (Richmond Park and North Kingston) to thwart the sell-off.

The Government wants to give over control of heritage Forests’s like the New Forest to trusts or charities and sell off the rest.

Mrs Nokes said: “I acknowledge the attempt to give greater involvement to civil society, charities and locally-established trusts. But, once a broadleaf mature tree is lost, even if replanted immediately, it is gone from the landscape for hundreds of years.

“You only have to look around the periphery of the New Forest National Park to see the impact on the countryside when large individual specimens are lost.”

She said the public wanted the woodlands to remain in public ownership. Meanwhile. Lib Dems across the Test Valley have signed a petition calling on the coalition to ditch their plans.

The Forestry Commission has land at Ampfield Wood, where 50,000 new trees were planted last year to combat climate change, and Hursley Forest, also in Ampfield, Hut Wood, near Chilworth, Lord’s Wood and Home Wood, at Rownhams and woodland at Hacks Lane, near Stockbridge, along with 100 square miles of the New Forest National Park Test Valley’s Lib Dem leader, Len Gates, said the proposals were driven by ideology rather than sound financial sense.

“They are not part of the coalition agreement and opposed by the vast majority of the public. We are looking to local Conservatives to join us in persuading the Government to drop this ill- thought-out plan,” he said.

Borough Lib Dems now plan to put a motion before the next full meeting of Test Valley council calling on members and MPs in the area to object.

Test Valley’s deputy leader, Martin Hatley, said that, providing public access was retained through woodlands and health and safety rules observed by owners and walkers, he could see no problem with selling woodland.

“As far as I am aware, the plans will not have any affect on southern Test Valley, because most, if not all, the land is already in private ownership and is leased by the commission. Therefore, a lot of land that people visit and think belongs to the Forestry Commission is in fact in private ownership.”

More than 300,000 people have already signed an online petition against the Government’s plans.

The National Trust, which owns 61,000 acres of woodland in England, is also against the sell off. Its director-general, Dame Fiona Reynolds, said: “The public alarm over these proposals shows just how much people care about the nation’s woods and trees. It is imperative that we protect what really matters to local people and that their voice is heard in the debate.”

The Country Land and Business Association has given the idea a mixed response. Its South-East England regional director, Rupert Ashby, said: “We would be concerned if the commercial part of the estate were to be sold off as a single block, or all at once. Either possibility risks distorting existing timber and land markets.”

The CLA also believes certain”core forests” such as the New Forest should be retained in public ownership.