OPPOSITION to present plans for the takeover of Queenswood and Bodenham Lake is invited to “rally” at Bodenham village hall next month.

The meeting, hosted by the Friends of Bodenham Lake (FBL), will assess the strength of such opposition.

FBL was responding to this morning’s Hereford Times story outlining progress in the transfer of both sites from Herefordshire Council on a 99 year lease to a new company set up by Herefordshire Wildlife Trusts (HWT) and New Leaf Sustainable Developments Ltd (NL).

The council, HWT and NL put out a statement that ruled out both housing on the sites and land sales.

FBL is rallying opposition to the takeover claiming a “lack of community engagement and openness” by HWT, NL and the council .

The FBL has plans of its own for both sites being run as community assets which could, in turn, appoint HWT and NL as partners.

“I  do believe that we should be given the chance to discuss this properly, even if we decide not to go for it. For this reason I am calling a public meeting of The Friends of Bodenham Lake and Queenswood on March 17th in the Village Hall in Bodenham at 7.30pm,” said FBL’s Sasha Norris.

“We will vote on whether to bid as a community that evening - we have the chance to negotiate a real level of community engagement, assuming we want it,” she said.

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.

Critics have called for any decision on the future of the sites - among a host of natural assets countywide that the council can no longer afford to keep -

to be deferred until after the council elections in May.

Councillor Harry Bramer, cabinet member for contracts and assets, sealed the  groundbreaking transfer 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.