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Local authorities privatising conservation areas |
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Vanderklam
Senior Member Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 54 |
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Posted: 21 Dec 2011 at 2:59pm |
Hi all,
Just heard word that Somerset County Council have proposed to sell parts of the local AONB for private ownership in a bid to pay off debts on a local-level. The Quantock Hills AONB is a fundamental area with which to maintain and enhance biodiversity in the local area [including that of many herp species]. Areas for the proposed sale include areas of lowland heath, that happen to feature as part of a SSSI. As such there is no current sanctions/assurances made by the local authority to ensure that any prospective new land owner will be tasked with further safeguarding the areas in question......an utter joke and perhaps a sign of things to come on a national scale. Further, it was duly noted that there was very little press involved in making this announcement 'public'. Dare I say that this is a rather underhand tactic on the part of the local authority to make this known just prior to xmas. Does anyone else have any similar experiences of this? Keep an eye out folks! Edited by Vanderklam - 21 Dec 2011 at 2:59pm |
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Kevin Palmer
Lecturer in Animal Management/Course Manager |
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AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
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How dare these self appointed public employees sell of our heritage
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LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
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Matt Harris
Senior Member Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 233 |
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I don't know what you mean by 'self-appointed' - as in any other Local Authority, Members are elected by public vote, and officers are recruited and appointed through job adverts, interviews etc the same as the rest of us. In theory, if the land is designated AONB, SSSI, then who owns it should be irrelevant - the same legislation and level of protection applies. In practice, I'd like to think that your average Local Authority might meets it's responsibilities with respect to these designations more stringently than a private landowner. This might be wishful thinking however, and I can think of a few LA's where I'd be glad if they sold some of their designated land to a wildilfe trust etc so that it could be managed better. |
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Local Authority Ecologist
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AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
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MATT Most people know exactly what I mean ( corrupt councillers paying themselves expenses and salaries out of public funds unchecked,) And public land being sold off that has been donated or paid for by ratepayers over the years,and most of us know it does not end up with the sort of care takers that are environmentally friendly.Examples being parkland and school football fields sold off to developers its happening all the time with them riding roughshod and ignoring the environment & public feelings.
Edited by AGILIS - 31 Dec 2011 at 8:45am |
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LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
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