The Management Plan
The Rangers are now part way through their second 10 year plan for the Commons. Their original stated aim is to turn the Commons into a ‘Lowland Heath’, a rare landscape. This seems to have been amended recently to either mid-level heath or even highland heath neither of which is endangered. To achieve this would seem to be an impossible task as the soil is too alkaline and the previously felled areas are now covered in bracken, bramble and scrubby regrowth.
Consultation
There has been no real consultation about this plan with the local people who use the Commons regularly. There were two supposed consultation meetings before the latest 10 year plan was implemented (neither advertised on the Commons) but the comments made by most of the people at these meetings were ignored. Interestingly the minutes of one of these meetings have never been produced. The rangers seem to think that it is sufficient to talk to the organising committee of WALC (Wadsley and Loxley Commoners), treating them as some sort of democratic representatives, which they are not.
Sheffield Council appear to believe that consultation means asking people what they think and then ignoring it. Anybody who has had dealings with them about issues such as the merger of local schools, building on the Hepworth site etc is likely to concur with this view.
So the latest 10 year plan went ahead regardless. A felling licence was obtained from the Forestry Commission and the destruction began. It also continued after that licence expired and only the vigilance of a local person led to this being brought to light. The felling began again without warning. Upon enquiry it was found that a new licence had been granted without most local people knowing anything about it. The Forestry Commission say that they placed the application on the public register for 28 days for all to see. In fact the so-called public register is kept on a well hidden part of the Forestry Commission website. It is just unfortunate that those people without internet access have no hope of finding it and even those who are used to this sort of thing have trouble with it. They also sought and were given the approval of the Bradfield Parish Council. Has anybody from YOUR Parish council actually asked you if YOU agree?
It has been repeatedly been asked why notices are not put on the Commons BEFORE decisions are made, asking for the views of those people who use them. Nobody has even bothered to answer this question.
There was a recent "review" of the management plan but it was made perfectly clear that this was to discuss HOW the plans are to be implemented NOT whether they should be changed.
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