AN MP has warned that “suffocating” bureaucracy risks hampering volunteering after the upkeep of an iconic work of land art was removed from public care.

A voluntary group has tended to the famous White Horse of Kilburn for more than 150-years without incident but it was recently announced that the Forestry Commission is taking responsibility for its upkeep.

The huge artwork, a familiar sight to drivers on the A19 near Thirsk, was being looked after by the White Horse Association but they have been told that certain elements of the way they work would not be safe or practical in the future.

This prompted Thirsk MP Kevin Hollinrake to hold an urgent meeting with the Forestry Commission, which owns the land, to ensure a sensible outcome is found.

Mr Hollinrake said: “I want to see proper time and consideration given to this issue.

“There hasn’t been sufficient time for the Forestry Commission to work with local people, who have an historic connection to the White Horse, to see whether a compromise can be found.

“Of course I understand that the Forestry Commission has a responsibility to make sure work is carried out safely, but this is public land and a local treasure and local people should be allowed to continue to care for it as they have done for more than 150-years.”

The Forestry Commission has engaged consultants to conduct a survey of the site to see how maintenance work could be carried out most effectively and safely and will then consult with local residents to see how they can be included in these works.

A commission spokesman said the transfer was agreed following meetings last year, owing to the health and safety laws around working on the steep slopes, and national volunteering guidelines.

Mr Hollinrake said: “There is a real danger that suffocating, needless and ill-conceived bureaucracy is becoming a deterrent to volunteering.

“Our agencies should support local volunteers, not side-line them.

“I will do everything I can, including raising the matter with the Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, to make sure that common sense prevails.”

The famous landmark was reportedly created by a local schoolmaster John Hodgson and his pupils in 1857.