ACTIVISTS have taken another forward step in trying to prevent the |sell-off of parts of the Quantock Hills.

A petition containing almost 5,500 online signatures was presented at the full Somerset County Council meeting in Taunton, following its decision to sell Great Wood to the Forestry Commission.

The sell-off, controlled through cabinet member David Huxtable, fetched £250,000, but the decision to get rid of the county’s ‘family silver’ hasn’t been welcomed by all.

Addressing Cllr Huxtable at last week’s meeting, protester Cllr Mike Rigby (pictured) said: “It is the long term risk to our highly valued public open spaces that concerns so many people.

“You have managed to offend the entire political spectrum with these plans.”

Cllr Huxtable described the sale as “a good deal” and said land at Thorncombe Hill and Custom Common was still up for grabs.

He added: “The sale of land to the Forestry Commission did give the county council a considerably good deal and considerable good capital.

“They will continue to grow and maintain trees and leave public access as it is. People might be better to send a pound to the Friends of the Quantocks rather than sign an e-petition.”

But Cllr Ross Henley also blasted the Conservatives in a heated 15-minute debate. He said: “You were not listening and you’re still not listening.

“Are you right and all these thousands of people wrong? I believe they are right and you should not be selling this land.”

As Britain’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, public access to the Quantocks is protected unless overridden in the interests of economic development.

After the meeting Cllr Rigby said: “There are county council elections in less than a year and I think they’ll be punished by the people of Somerset for this.”