A look at the scientific consultation?

Bristol Downswatch have made a number of freedom of information requests to Natural England (NE) and Bristol City Council (BCC), with the hope of seeing the scientific advice that NE and BCC have received regarding nature conservation policy in the Avon Gorge. They have said that they have consulted the leading authorities on the botany of the area. We therefore supposed that there would be consultation papers, reports, minutes of meetings, etc., to see.

On the contrary, NE have told us that they have nothing on record concerning the environmental management of the Avon Gorge. They told us that the scientific consultation was in the hands of BCC. NE, of course are partners with BCC in the developement of conservation policy in the Avon Gorge, but we accepted their statement and approached the council.

BCC told us that the consultation responses to the 2006 management plan "are no longer held". There are no memoranda, reports, or minutes of discusions. Nothing.

And what of the recent, much publicised, scientifically based 2009, management plan, proposing putting goats into the Gully? Well, "discussions" were held with two leading authorities on the limestone flora and the whitebeams of the Avon Gorge. But there is nothing in writing from them and the meetings were not recorded. Therefore there is no objective trace of the opinions of these scientific consultants. So we have been assured.

Fortunately there is a trace of one scientific opinion. We reproduce below a letter written to the Nature Conservation Officer of BCC by one of the scientific consultants involved with the 2006 plan:

The scientist in question was ignored! No contrary opinions were even considered!

And what of the democratic ramifications of this apparent lack of any material evidence of the advice given by scientists? What if our Member of Parliament wanted to see this material so that he could come to his own conclusions? The Downs were, after all, given to the public by act of parliament. What if the Downs Committee wanted to make their own judgement of the scientific case?

Here is a situation where a national quango and a local authority department have spent public money on scientific consultation and have nothing tangible to show for it. They will present us, presumably with a decision and a reassurance that the scientific community are behind them. But no one will be allowed to come to their own judgement.

If the above scenario is not accurate, then show us the scientific consultation material.