NRW accused of having very little empathy with local community over visitor centre futures

Tindle News

Watch NRW accused of having very little empathy with local community over visitor centre futures - Tindle News on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00It's not been handled very well.

00:02There was very little communication and empathy

00:04with people involved, the communities involved.

00:08And if you want to take them over,

00:10there needs to be, I feel, better engagement.

00:13And I was concerned about the understanding as well of Inneslas.

00:18They were saying they're closing the retail side of it

00:21and the food and retail offer.

00:24But it is actually a nature reserve.

00:26And they struggled to get that across.

00:29They felt they struggled to get that across to NRW.

00:31And when we questioned them,

00:32this felt like there was very little empathy

00:34and understanding in that.

00:35So I wanted to raise that here.

00:38Okay. Thank you for that.

00:40And I'm sure NRW will be hearing this as well.

00:42And I do, just to give you that reassurance,

00:44I have regular discussions with NRW.

00:47And we've raised this matter of effective communication

00:52as well on what is and what is not happening.

00:55And in terms of Inneslas,

00:58just to tell you that, you know,

01:00I think there is an understanding

01:02that the staff within Inneslas

01:03have probably gone above and beyond,

01:06above and beyond actually what they are contracted to do.

01:09So they've also offered advice and signposting

01:12and nature advice and so on.

01:14But there is no intention whatsoever

01:16to withdraw from the nature conservancy aspects,

01:19the biodiversity aspects,

01:22the role that they're doing out there in the landscape

01:24around Inneslas.

01:27What they have found necessary to do in the consultation

01:31that they've engaged with unions and presented to the board

01:34is step back, as you know,

01:35from the food and catering and retail side,

01:40simply because in order to focus on the statutory duties.

01:43But I think your point is well made.

01:45The communication and the openness with local people

01:49we're really concerned about,

01:50well, what's the future then for the nature side

01:53and the members of staff there as well.

01:54And NRW, I'm sure, will be hearing this as we are.

01:58And we do engage with them on this

01:59when we hear it from committee members and others.

02:02Thank you, Julie.

02:03I'd just like to support what Caroline has said about this,

02:07because I've been approached, you know, from Inneslas

02:10and it was a sort of feeling that there was no recognition

02:13of the actual work that they were doing.

02:16And I have heard what you've said, you know,

02:20that you and NRW will have heard,

02:25but it just does seem, you know, unsatisfactory situation.

02:30I think they're going to need to keep on that level

02:32of communication now with local people,

02:34because they have a real intention to do what is right,

02:38particularly for the Nature Conservancy around Inneslas.

02:41It is the catering retail stuff that they're stepping back from.

02:46And I have to say, in the financial constraints they're under,

02:50that's probably the right thing to do to focus on NRW's core roles.

02:56But in doing so, the sensitivity of dealing with local community

02:59and the sensitivity of dealing with existing staff members

03:02is what they have to navigate.

03:03I don't envy the role that they've gone through.

03:05Neither do I envy the staff who've been in the midst of this.

03:08But I would just encourage saying here publicly in front of committee,

03:12as I've said to NRW directly,

03:14to keep engaging with local communities and staff

03:19as they transition here.

03:21I'm hopeful as well, by the way, as NRW are,

03:24that on the catering retail side of things,

03:27that there will be the opportunity then for others to step in and provide that.

03:30Because I know that is one of the added value pieces

03:36for visitors and for local people within it.

03:38But their focus on the conservation and the biodiversity

03:42and the natural processes will continue regardless.

03:46That's useful to have that on the record.

Category

Transcript

Recommended