ANY prospect of housing at Queenswood country park or Bodenham Lake nature reserve has been ruled out.

Herefordshire Wildlife Trusts (HWT) and New Leaf Sustainable Development Ltd (NL) made the commitment in formally confirming their intention to take over both sites as a partnership.

Herefordshire Council sees the sites as suitable for asset transfer on a 99 year lease.

As the “preferred partners” HWT and NL are working on funding bids for investment in both sites.

Plans include improved visitor facilities at Queenswood as home to an environmental education programme and  developing current woodland management.

At present, Bodenham Lake will continue to be managed as a nature reserve and wildlife haven.

The council will continue to own the freehold of the sites with all sides saying there is “no prospect” either housing developments or the sale of land within them.

Housing and land sales were amongst fears expressed by critics of the transfer, but have not been formally proposed as options.

Evan Bowen-Jones, HWT chief executive, said the partnership drew on “the best” of both bodies and presented a “fantastic opportunity”.

NL director Rob Garner said a supporters scheme should be ready to launch by April.

But there is still disquiet at the transfer.

Another county nature charity, Siren Conservation, has its own plans for both sites and wanted any decision on their future deferred until after the council elections in May.

Siren’s Sasha Norris cited “wide reaching concern” at the closed doors decision to transfer the sites alleging a absence of “proper community consultation”.

In the interim, the council, HWT and NL do appear to have met Siren’s call for confirmation of – and commitment to - the on-going protected status of the sites to prevent any possibility of future development or sell-off.  

As previously reported by the Hereford Times, the council is ready to hand a  99 year lease on Queenswood and Bodenham Lake to a new company established by HWT and NL.

The iconic sites are among a host of natural assets countywide that the council can no longer afford to keep.

Councillor Harry Bramer, cabinet member for contracts and assets, sealed the  groundbreaking deal in principle last month.

But related recommendations mean HWT and NL must demonstrate the capacity to cover operating costs before the transfer can go ahead, with any handover still be subject to a call in by the council's scrutiny committee.

Objections or alternative proposals could still put a stop  to the transfer if deemed valid.

The future  management of both sites is crucial to the council’s savings plans.

But the council has options to retain responsibility if the transfer cannot go ahead.

Council officers have been working with HWT – which manages 54 local nature reserves – and NL over the past year to support the development of the business plan.

The proposal does not indicate any ongoing financial contribution from the council, with the new company expected to operate entirely independently.

The transfer recommendation requires financial viability for a minimum of three months on transfer and continued financial sustainability as agreed by the council’s chief financial officer.

A financial plan provided includes projections over the first five years and cash flow projections for the first two years  of operation.

The council will set out the terms of the leasehold transfer, sub letting terms and other triggers that could see the sites returned to the council.

As part of the council’s medium term financial plan, there is an agreed savings target  of £300,000 - £150,000 in 2014/15 and £150,000 in 2015/16 - to cut the cost of countryside services to zero.

The council anticipates savings as a result of the transfer recommendations will mainly come from further staff reductions (£120,000) and other cuts to operational costs of £30,000.