UNISON campaign to protect Nottinghamshire's Country parks

The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest

Notts County Council claims it has to cut £186 million from its budget over the next four years. They plan to make over three thousand County Council employees redundant – a huge blow not only to those individuals who stand to lose their livelihood, but to the services they provide and to the Nottinghamshire economy as a whole.
The country parks’ budget is being particularly badly affected. Amongst the County Council’s proposals for the future of this service are:
• A cut of 47%, nearly half, of the current budget
• The abolition of the park rangers’ service entirely
• Their replacement with a reduced number of unskilled park wardens
The implications of these cuts will be devastating if allowed to go ahead. Many of the activities at the parks will simply have to end. Health and safety will be greatly compromised, and an increase in anti-social behaviour is inevitable with such vastly reduced staffing levels. Staff who work at the parks have queried whether or not the council will even manage to meet basic legal obligations in some areas. Workers at Bestwood Country Park have told us that the Council’s proposed axing of the budget will mean that Bestwood will effectively be “mothballed”.
If you haven’t done so already, please consider doing the following:

• Take part in Nottinghamshire County Council’s online budget consultation which closes Friday 21 January 2011. The section including the budget proposals for country parks can be found at http://www3.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/thecouncil/budgetproposals/communities/?assetdetesctl1980952=55856.
• Contact your local County Councillor and/or MP with your objections. You can find your County Councillor at: http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/your_council/councillorsandtheirrole/councillors/whoisyourcllr.htm. Alternatively, ‘phone the Council on (0115) 9823823 and say you want to know your local County Councillor’s details.
• Come to the demonstration UNISON is planning on 24 February to coincide with the council meeting which sets the budget for the next financial year. Further details will be available nearer the time from the Notts UNISON website: http://www.nottsunison.org.uk/