Walking enthusiast criticises £100,000 Shropshire countryside budget cuts
A volunteer who created an 11-mile walking route in south Shropshire has hit out at plans to slash the countryside budget.
The team at Shropshire Council that looks after the county's country parks, heritage sites and rights of way is facing a £100,000 budget cut and redundancies.
John Farley created the Corvedale Three Castles Way in 2006 and it is maintained by a group of volunteers with the help of Shropshire Council.
He said without the support of the council they will not be able to continue.
"Over the years Shropshire Council has supplied us with tools, materials, advice, insurance cover, expertise, training and logistical support, plus physical effort when there are tasks which are too large for us to undertake," he said.
"Without the support of the council we couldn’t operate. And quite frankly, if we don’t get any support from the county I am not sure that we would want to continue."
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Under the plans, the Outdoor Partnerships Team could lose some of its managers of country parks and sites with staff asked to apply for voluntary funding.
The Shropshire Wild Team, which cares for footpaths and stiles, will end unless external funding can be found. Already earmarked is a £50,000 cut in funding for footpaths and rights of way.
Mr Farley said the route, which was established through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, boosts tourism in the area.
He added: "Now it seems that Shropshire Council doesn’t think countryside access is worth supporting. It is prepared to invest millions in acquiring shopping malls but not to invest in countryside which is just as big an asset as far as the tourism business of the county in concerned.
"And it will abandon the many volunteers across the county who have made the rights of way network one of the features which makes Shropshire stand out amongst the rural shires."
Last week the council’s communities overview committee heard that the proposed cuts are because of the withdrawal of public health funding.
Shona Butler, council officer, said the Outdoor Partnerships had already had a 58 per cent cut in budget since 2012/13 and said this would impact on services.
