Refuse to sell our publicly owned green spaces and AONB (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) to private investors.
NO SALE! or Privatisation
Why is this important?
Following our successful campaign in 2015 the County Council is now revisiting its options for the Countryside it owns on our behalf.
It is encouraging that the statements in the published papers reiterate the success of this campaign and state that the land will not be sold BUT options do include long term leases potentially with commercial operators.
We need the County Councillors to ensure the detail of any management plan, lease or contractual agreements protect the green spaces, the wildlife and the community access.
It is ours to enjoy not theirs for profit
We continue to call upon Staffordshire County Council to commit to preserving our natural heritage, for the common good. And to reject the notion that a private profit motive should play any part in owning, or managing our much loved green spaces.
The original text was as follows
*Staffordshire County Council is currently consulting on a range of options concerning their (our) countryside estate. Their options explicitly include "Disposal of sites on the open market", "Land rental for industrial development" and "a private sector partnership".
The countryside estate includes Country Parks, picnic areas, country walks (along disused lines etc.) and also sites where public access is currently restricted in aid of wildlife conservation etc.
Each of these sites are highly valued green spaces, that are treasured by the local population, and by those from further afield alike. The loss of these areas of natural beauty would be felt by many, and in similar cases they also tend to be irreversible; meaning once these sites are lost from public ownership, they may never be returned.
