LAST month, Herefordshire Council produced a formal consultation document and I must comment on the position of the archaeological unit The current structure includes six posts which are financed on an annual basis through external funding (principally from English Heritage).

The revised model does not allow for these posts to be continued. As such they are proposed to be deleted from the establishment. The team in the future will consist of a team leader (a shared post with conservation), an archaeological adviser, and an archaeological projects officer.

The impact will be significant. In particular, the ability and opportunity to secure external funding for projects and programmes will be significantly reduced.

The unit will only be able to react to events/issues.

Key functions will be to provide specialist input into the planning application process and it may not achieve statutory duties in respect of archaeological protection.

The chief executive has given clear direction that as an organisation its priorities for the future are protecting vulnerable people, adult social care and the development of the local economy.

I do not know what the cost of the redundancies will be but I do know the business case for the benefits of keeping our outstanding service has not been made.

On July 30 yet another unique Herefordshire archaeology find was televised to show how special our area is. Remember the Ribbon, the Saxon Watermill, the Anglo romano burial with its crippled skeleton, to mention just a few of the treasures found in recent years?

Who has been to see our unique Saxon rampart remains that Ron Shoesmith uncovered? Why is the information leaflet out of print?

Ledbury has a heritage trail and people happily wandering round visiting, and another Heritage Lottery-funded project for the Master’s House is excitingly going forward.

Hereford has empty shops and very little evidence of visitors going anywhere except the cathedral.

What is happening to us?

Has the new chief executive taken into account the report A Tourism Strategy for Herefordshire 2010- 2015? It is a tragedy for Herefordshire that, instead of appreciating the value of our assets, the council response to that report was to cut costs money by “privatising” tourism.

I spent a wonderful weekend in Lincoln, where they invest in tourism and are rewarded by £12 million lottery funding towards a £20m project to improve their castle and make it a more outstanding attraction. “How York became a northern light”, an article in the City section of The Week, explains tourism is helping it to thrive against the general area decline due to “a council leadership which isn’t afraid to balance the city’s beauty with new development”.

We applaud the vision of Rotherwas Enterprise Board under the chairmanship of Bill Jackson and the work done towards a Lottery bid to turn the munitions shed into a heritage centre. This is something Herefordshire could be proud of.

Instead of casting out archaeology, the arts, natural and cultural resources, could we please have a business plan that can link together all the treasures of Herefordshire and share them with the world?

I am positive that we need to band together: all the local history societies, all the friends of the records office, all the museum volunteers, all the walkers, the arts enthusiasts, the National Trust, the Nature Trust, the Woodland Trust, all the bed and breakfasts to name just a few.

Perhaps the Enterprise Zone could help achieve a better outcome from this crisis by incorporating redundant staff and properly restoring Rotherwas to the prime position it was throughout time until limited by narrow vision.

Do not throw away the family silver. Remember the view now of the decision to sell our gold?

BARBARA FERRIS, Dinedor, Herefordshire.