Petition to keep wardens
A COST-CUTTING review into the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty could spell the end for two long-serving wardens.
Les Davies has worked for the service for 17 years and Tina Bath for 15, and their efforts have been recognised. Mr Davies has been appointed MBE for his pioneering projects, which include a rural crime reduction scheme and organising volunteer rangers, and in October, Miss Bath was adjudged best woman hedge-layer in England at championships on the royal estate at Sandringham, Norfolk.
Now the partnership which looks after the AONB is looking at ways to save money and shedding the wardens could be an option.
The partnership is made up of Natural England, Somerset County Council, and the councils for Sedgemoor, Mendip, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset.
Nigel Taylor has launched a petition to keep the wardens and more than 200 people have already signed it.
He said: "We have had an excellent warden service in the AONB for 25 years. To lose this would be tragic.
"Les Davies and Tina Bath do a marvellous job. They negotiate between farmers and landowners over footpaths, they arrange courses in hedge-laying and drystone walling, they have restored dew ponds, they help people who would otherwise never come out onto the hills to discover them and enjoy them and to learn new skills.
"They work in all weathers and they are warm and friendly. Their reward is to be made redundant.
"I know the country is in a bad way, but this is not the answer."
A county council spokesman said: "At this stage the process is not complete and, as any changes could directly affect staff members, the matter remains confidential."
PETITION forms can be found at Hunters Lodge Inn and the New Inn, at Priddy, and at the Gorge Outdoors, Cheddar.
Nigel Taylor has also started a campaign website at www.sows-on-mendip.com
3 Comments
by sue humphries, wookey hole
Monday, January 12 2009, 7:19PM
“One of the largest reasons that bring in tourists and their revenue to the area are the mendip hills- it's blatently obvious that this area needs looking after.”
by Carole Mullender, Gurney Slade
Saturday, January 10 2009, 4:38PM
“I thought Gordon Brown wanted to create jobs in new 'green industries' to combat the rising unemployment? Whilst hardly a 'new industry', surely getting rid of 2 wardens is counter productive to that intention?”
by Jim Callaway, Rookham Hill, Wells
Saturday, January 10 2009, 4:29PM
“Many years of hard work by these Wardens under sometimes very difficult conditions don't appear to be appreciated by the pen pushers sat in warm offices counting beans.
The contribution to tourism, the environment, local business, & Safety within the AONB is now seriously in question.
As someone who pays a large council tax bill & the only service we seem to get is our bin emptied once every fortnight, its a shame that some of the cuts to save money should come from the Admin side of the AONB organisational structure not at the sharp end where it matters.
Although the Wardens are funded by several organisations, the funding issue from the councils is appalling considering they apparently behind closed doors invested surplus money from us council tax payers into fancy Icelandic savings accounts which have now gone bust.
How many of these well paid council members involved with this have been subject to cuts like this as a result of this recently exposed scheme.
Just prior to sending this I have been informed that there appears to be no reprieve for our two Wardens which is a decision that will come back to haunt the architects of these cuts for years to come.”