save Quantock Hills,somerset

[andyc54]

hi just got an email about this this morning now its no were near were i live nor have i ever visited but ive still signed up as any woodland/green space is worth saving in my view and even more for us lot on here

"We've helped keep our national forests safe. But beautiful wild places owned by local councils could still be under threat. We can work together to protect these precious places too.

38 Degrees members in Somerset have been in touch to ask for our help. Their council is trying to sell-off a local natural treasure, known as the Quantock Hills. [2] Councillors could decide to sell as soon as this Wednesday. If the sale goes ahead, a beautiful area of woodland and open countryside could be at risk.

A huge people-powered petition can make Somerset Council think again and safeguard the Quantock Hills for future generations. Add your name now – local 38 Degrees members will deliver the petition to the Council at the debate this Wednesday:
[url]https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/protect-quantock-hills[/URL]

The Quantock Hills are beautiful. Famous English poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge have written about them. [3] Rare plants and animals thrive there. [4] Hundreds of thousands of people visit every year. [5] If they're sold, there's every risk we'll see fences going up and crucial habitats in danger.

If Somerset Council get away with this, other councils across the country could start trying to sell off local wildlife havens too. Stopping Somerset Council should help stop these kinds of sell-off schemes becoming a new national menace. So it makes sense for all of us who stood together to protect woodland owned by our national government to speak up against Somerset Council's local sell-off plan."

cheers andy

 

[Shewie]

The selling off of woodlands by the FC is still going on despite the fuss we kicked up last year, the FC are still continuing with the sales no matter what joe public says.

It's still going on throughout Scotland and England despite their promises it would be reviewed.

 

[craeg]

Just signed up and damn those officious little council bureaucrats for even thinking of doing this kind of, IMHO vandalism

 

[andyc54]

it is shocking of all places a nature reserve they should be kept in public ownership for the public to enjoy and wild life to have a safe haven

 

[toilet digger]

sorry but its all a bit late, its already been rubber stamped.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-17017744

 

[Snowfire]

Is it? That article says the council will be answering questions during a full council meeting on Wednesday and the decision will be finalised on the 17th.

I'm not an expert on councils and the laws but I know my local council have reversed a few decisions overturned recently following court cases brought by action groups.

Anyway I've signed up as I don't think it's too late until there is a signature on a sale contract.

 

[Shewie]

I've signed too

 

[Zingmo]

Why would anyone pay for land which cannot be developed and has free public access? They'll still have to maintain the place, but will have no way to recover those costs unless they charge for access.

I have spent many happy hours up there. My favourite thinking spot used to be Trendle Ring. My brother saw a big cat up there once. I have been meaning to revisit the gnarly oak woods at the back of Holford for years.

Z

Sent from my fondle-slab via tapatalk.

 

[EdS]

just to play devils advocate:

Shewie - the review never said it was going to stop the "routine" sell of land, just the mass dumping on a large scale. The FC have bee nselling unproductive land for years. Remember their remit was (and still basically) is to provide an economic / strategic resource of wood. Not principly protect the landscape, remeber the mass planting of the Flow country.

Councils -- quiet simply Local Authorities don't have the money these days. Due to a number of reasons:
a) reduction in central gov funding
b) remove or expirery of specific project grants / EU funding - many reserves ran on "funny money"
c) short falls in council tax
d) impossed cost savings

This is on top of LAs having to take on more and more responsibilities as central gov, police etc delegate more powers adn responsibility - with out any finances coming across. This is a big way that the civil service (that is the centralised stuff - police, Health Protection Agency etc) are making savings - dumping it on to LAs.

So do the LA fufil their statutory duties and concentrate on residents or do they look after nature reserves and ignore the residents. That is the choice they face today -- there isn't money for both. Unless of course we want to pay a lot more council take to have both.

These areas do need conserving (not preserving) but if they are forced to do one thing soemthing else has to go else where, school closure maybe?

As I said just playing devil's advocate