Newcastle City Council propose to reduce the Countryside Ranger team from 8 to 4. We have created an e-petition on the council website asking the council to reconsider this proposal.
The wording of the Friends of Jesmond Dene petition is:
We the undersigned petition the council to reconsider the proposal to cut the number of Countryside Rangers from 8 to 4 and to keep the number of staff unchanged.
If approved, this proposal would have a serious impact on the countryside and wildlife around Newcastle. There will also be a reduction in the number of events organised for members of the public, both adults and children.
With fewer Countryside Rangers, and a reduction in the work done by groups of volunteers under the supervision of the Rangers, the Newcastle Parks are likely to enter a period of slow but inevitable decline, with inadequate management of their varied habitats and less positive management for its wildlife. There is also likely to be both an increase in littering and vandalism and a delay in dealing with these problems when they occur.
The health and well-being of the people of Newcastle will be adversely affected by this proposal.
If you agree with these sentiments, please sign the petition.
The steps are:
1 Register, supplying name, address, email address and a password (8 or more characters including at least one digit).
2 Wait for an activation email and click on a link in the email to activate your account (you may have to wait a few hours for the email).
3 Log in with your name and password and sign the petition.
2,500 signatures are required for the Council to reconsider, and all objections must be lodged by 14th February. Please pass on this petition to friends, family and colleagues who are also interested in the future of Jesmond Dene.
LILIAN LOVELOCK
On behalf of The Friends of Jesmond Dene Committee