Over 1,200 Gateshead residents are taking a stand against the council's proposals to remove a park ranger role as part of its budget cuts.
A total of 1,236 people have signed a petition imploring Gateshead Council not to cut environmental services, including removing the role of the countryside warden. According to council documents, the authority could save £995,000 from cuts to countryside services.
These cuts come as Gateshead Council has to plug a financial black hole of £55m over the next three years. Harold Dobson, a volunteer countryside ranger of 12 years, launched the petition which is due to close on February 9.
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Mr Dobson, 67, said: "If you get rid of the ranger, in effect, there would be no one to supervise the volunteers when out on tasks and there would be no one to do anything in the country parks or reserves.
"There will be litter, fires, camping, graffiti, flytipping. There will be nobody in the whole of Gateshead responsible to see to that.
"People wont to be able to go out into the countryside because of all the turmoil and it is just a downward spiral. It's absolutely potty, they must keep the last ranger on the payroll.
"Yes, finances are hard these days and we have to face cutbacks but you cannot lose the beauty of the country and the effects it has on humans' mental health."
A petition requires 2,000 signatures in order to be debated at Gateshead's civic centre.
In response to the petition, the Council issued a statement and said: “Due to the huge pressures on our budget and the need to make at least £10m savings in 2023/24 all service areas are being reviewed. We have £900 less to spend per resident than we did in 2010 and we expect this to reduce even further to £1,150 over the next five years, inevitably, this means we are having to consider all of the services we provide.
"We know that we are going to have to make some incredibly difficult decisions to ensure we can agree a balanced budget in February however this is just one of the proposals that have been put forward. We understand the passion and commitment that our countryside evokes and the views of residents will be taken into account when the proposals are considered at our Cabinet meeting on 21 February and full Council on 23 February.
"Therefore it is very important for everyone to feedback their views by 9 February when our consultation closes. To take part and to find out more about how the Council’s budget works visit www.gateshead.gov.uk/budget”.
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