Petition to: not cease to host the 3 Countryside Management Projects without carrying out proper investigation to prove this move would not negatively impact on the valuable nature conservation work being carried out by the projects and local community volunteers
This petition is now closed, as its deadline has passed.
We the undersigned petition Surrey County Council to not cease to host the 3 Countryside Management Projects without carrying out proper investigation to prove this move would not negatively impact on the valuable nature conservation work being carried out by the projects and local community volunteers. More details
Submitted by Sarah Clayton of Lower Mole Countryside Trust – Deadline to sign up by: 02 June 2011 – Signatures: 659
Petition update 3, 18 July 2011
Thank you for expressing your concerns about the proposal, as part of the Public Value Review of the Countryside Service, that the County Council should cease to host the three Countryside Management Projects: the Lower Mole, the Downlands and the Heathland Projects.
The report on the Countryside Public Value Review was considered by the County Council’s Cabinet on 1 March 2011. The Cabinet agreed a number of recommendations including that the review of partnerships should be issued for consultation with partner bodies, prior to a decision on the County Council’s involvement by the Cabinet Member for Environment in consultation with the Assistant Director Operations, Highways and Countryside. The consultation was issued on 10 March 2011 and closed on 2 June 2011. The review of partnerships includes a review of the Lower Mole, Downlands and Heathland Projects. The consultation was sent to all partner bodies, including those Members, Officers and others who are on the respective Steering Groups.
The responses to the consultation will be carefully considered prior to a decision on the County Council’s involvement being made, which will take full account of responses to the consultation.
Dr Lynne Hack, Cabinet Member for Environment
11 July 2011Petition update 2, 20 June 2011
Please note that there has been a change to the date of the meeting to which this petition has been referred. The Cabinet Member for Environment decision making meeting will now be held at 3.30pm on 11 July in Room G12 at County Hall. The Cabinet Member will respond to the petition at that meeting.Petition update 1, 14 June 2011
This petition has a total of 659 signatures and can, therefore, in accordance with the Council's petition scheme, be presented to the relevant Cabinet Member.
The petition has been referred to the Cabinet Member for Environment decision making meeting, which is to be held at 12pm on 13 July in Room G12 at County Hall. The Cabinet Member will respond to the petition at that meeting.More details from petition creator
As part of the Public Value Review paper presented to the Surrey Council Cabinet it has been proposed that, from April 2012, SCC should cease to host the 3 Countryside Management Projects, the Lower Mole Project, the Downlands Project and the Heathland Project. This means SCC would no longer employ project staff, provide HR and IT support, payroll services or insurance. An enormous amount of work is done throughout Surrey by volunteers of these projects and it will be a serious loss to Surrey residents and a drain on Partners' budgets should these groups cease to exist. SCC is suggesting the projects are hosted by charitable trusts. These proposals were made without researching the viability of transferring the projects to trusts, identifying any trusts willing and able to host them or establishing a process whereby a new charitable trust might be set up. If a decision to go ahead with the proposal is made there will be no going back, even if it is not possible to find another host for the staff. There are grave concerns that this important decision will be taken by only 2 people, one an elected member and one an officer.
