FOREST MP Mark Harper has told Cinderford Town Council he will probably not attend a public meeting to discuss woodland sell-off plans.

The council wanted Mr Harper, who says the sell-off presents an "exciting opportunity" for the community to buy Forestry land, to address the meeting on Friday December 10.

Labour Leader in the House of Lords, Baroness Jan Royall of Blaisdon, who is part of the HOOF steering group, has confirmed she will be there, and Gloucestershire County Council leader Mark Hawthorne will also discuss public service cuts at the 7pm start of the meeting.

Mr Harper's Parliamentary assistant Myles Bailey said: "Mark has a prior engagement on December 10 and thus is unlikely to be able to attend. The date and time of the public meeting was set and publicised before we were approached, so there was nothing we could do about the diary conflict."

Secrecy surrounds just what is keeping the MP from coming to the Miners' Welfare Hall to address his worried constituents.

Mr Bailey had not responded before The Forester went to press when asked what the engagement was, and the MP's office in Cinderford High Street which arranges his constituency diary would not reveal any details.

Chairman of Cinderford Town Council Graham Morgan said: "Surely an issue as important as the Forest being sold should take precedence in his diary? Anything else should take a back seat.

"The meeting has to take place now rather than later before an Act of Parliament is passed allowing the sell-off.

"Everyone is still in the dark and there is a lot of concern – and our MP should address those concerns. I hope he does manage to attend, or send someone else to represent the Government's viewpoint."

He added: "We did arrange the meeting before we invited him but it was the only day the hall was free."