Countryside guardians face axe

Support is mounting for Les Davies and Tina Bath, whose vital jobs as wardens of the Mendip Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) are under threat as part of a major review.

Sir David Wills, landowner and farmer, who owns 1,000 acres of famously picturesque open space at Burrington Ham and Black Rock, said the hills would be worse off without the pair.

A statement on the situation will be made on Thursday after the AONB decision-making body, the resources steering group, composed of Natural England and five councils, meets and then updates other groups involved.

Sir David, who is the Country Land and Business Association's representative on the AONB, plans to stress the wardens' value.

Other support has come from cave rescue warden and Cheddar parish councillor Nigel Taylor, who has launched a petition to save the posts which has been signed by more than 200 people.

It is understood that one possibility is that Mr Davies, the senior warden, who became MBE for his services to the area, would take early retirement, while Miss Bath, his deputy, and national women's hedge-laying champion, would be made redundant.

Sir David said: "It is appalling. This is about cost-saving but it is to the detriment of the rural landscape.

Les Davies and Tina Bath do a tremendous public relations exercise for the AONB and they are the links between the landowners and the public.

"They do a lot of policing and looking after the countryside.

"They also train others in environmental skills, and their understanding of the countryside and wildlife is amazing.

"Les was awarded an MBE for his services. He is a fantastic man. He is not a clock- watcher and will give evening talks to groups out of the kindness of his heart.

"Without them I think you will find footpaths will become more overgrown and stiles could crumble.

"They are the ones who would go out and maintain them. That kind of work would be voluntary in the future, but that isn't good enough."

The warden service has been running on the hills for 25 years. During that time other posts have been created as the AONB has developed its role in conservation, education, and enhancement of the hills' environment, economy and way of life.

The resources steering group, the AONB's decision- making body, is composed of Natural England, which contributes 75 per cent of the funding, Somerset County Council, which hosts the service, and the four district councils which cover the area.

A spokesman for Natural England said yesterday that the AONB was expected to receive the same grant for the next financial year that it had this year, £201,459.32

Although there would be no extra to account for rising costs, a restriction which insisted that £61,600 of the cash should be used for sustainable development fund projects would be removed, allowing the AONB to allocate more of the grant for core funding and salaries.

Somerset County Council, which hosts the partnership, said it had also not reduced its funding from last year.

Naturalist and broadcaster Chris Sperring, conservation officer of the Hawk and Owl Trust has described any plan to cut frontline staff as crackers.

And Sue Gearing author of guides to walks in the region has described the wardens' work as invaluable.