New Forestry Commission Agreement

[mharky]

Good man Mike Hamilton!!!

[andypat]

Yes - thats a good piece of work from BOF head office.

[King Penguin]

Get local MPs involved - write to them with some of the above suggestions- eg tax on health, children's wellbeing, lack of cost to FC etc. Then keep pestering the MPs until they do something - eg ask questions in parliament, write to FC asking for details, justification etc. there are a lot of orienteers out there, if everyone in an affected club wrote to their MP something would happen. I suggest some of the more involved people get together, produce points for a letter and then pass to all their club members and encourage them to write to the MP. Most of the points needed are listed above in this thread, go on use them!

At the West Midlands BOF Roadshow it was stated that this has alreday been tried. However, one of the by-products of the government requiring FC (and other bodies) to stand on their own two feet is that the "tame" MPs contacted reported back that there is now little scope for MPs, or even government, to excert pressure on such FC decisions.

[Big Jon]

OK King Penguin - get club members to write to your local FC "Manager" or whoever is highest in your area and copy it to the Head of FC in England. If the FC receive hundreds (or thousands?) of letters they might start to become aware of what problems they are creating.

[rebbid]

Maybe emails. Letters = trees = business for Forestry Commission.

[Clive Coles]

I think we have to be very careful about inciting a lobby of the local FC officers. Given some of the ideas and threats implied previously on this thread some comments could back fire and convince FC that we are beligerent, unrealistic and at war with the Commission.

I believe the way ahead is to channel any feedback through BOF and let Mike and his team negotiate the best deal he can.

[soc123]

I agree Mike has all the facts and is in charge of the negotiations, so let him proceed with it, until he has exhauted all avenues for discussion and compromise.

Locally here all the running clubs organise compeitive summer evening track and path runs on FC land, that are marshalled and have taped routes, where necessary. Upwards of 200 take part at nill cost. So where is the difference compared with the junior "o" courses of white, yellow and orange, navigating on the paths and tracks with kites?
I think families will vote with their feet faced with a £3 charge, over and above the entry and car parking fee, for each child for 20 to 40 mins of orienteering!

[soc123]

[quote="Clive Coles"]I think we have to be very careful about inciting a lobby of the local FC officers. Given some of the ideas and threats implied previously on this thread some comments could back fire and convince FC that we are beligerent, unrealistic and at war with the Commission.

As all the issue is related to cost, lobbying the local FC officers won't achieve anything over and above voicing our dissatisfaction, as the local offices have to implement what is handed down to them from on high.

Locally here they have stated that they have already voiced their opinion to FC HQ that the fees proposed are likely to have the effect of decreasing the number of orienteers running at events on FC land, and that they realise that the clubs will be actively looking for alternative venues for some of their events.

[AndyO]

Mike has done well to get a stay of the increases, but if he is going to get a better deal he will only be helped by a large lobby of people (such as the petition on the front page) backing him up. FC (and their political masters) have to understand the strength of feeling among responsible groups - and I would certainly count orienteering among that number. We just cannot sit down quietly and wait for Mike to win the day. He needs our support, and not by threats but by sound argument and justification in the terms expressed by many on this thread. Campaign for responsible free access now!

[70plus]

Soc123 said "families will vote with their feet", which reminded me that this tendency may be underestimated by some FC decision makers.

Quite a few years ago, weekend parking was a problem on the B roads through Delamere Forest and the FC created a large hard-standing car park, which they also used for selling Christmas trees. After a while pay-and-display meters went in at a charge of £1. As that level is pretty widespread (just as in a farmer's field) most people paid up, but some went back onto the roads. Since 2008, someone decided that income should be maximised and the fee rose to £3 in the Xmas-tree area and more at the visitor centre. Guess what happened.

All power to Mike in his efforts, but I don't think O-income displaces the FC balance sheet very far.

[Scott]

Good news! Or at any rate as good as we can hope for at the moment.

Very good work by Mike H - here's hoping he can negotiate us a better deal for 2011 than what was originally on offer.

[Scott]

A revised agreement with the Forestry Commission in England and Wales for 2011 events was discussed and the Chief Executive authorised to conclude a revised agreement if possible

Sounds promising. Let's hope the terms are more favourable than their original offer.

[Clive Coles]

News of new agreement just posted on BOF web site. An interim agreement to run for 1 year from 1st January 2011

http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/index.php?pg=16

[roadrunner]

Looks a lot better than the previous one - well done Mike!

[soc123]

Yes, well done Mike it is a much better situation we now find ourselves in than previously.
However, I still take issue with the fact that we pay anything at all for white and yellow runners who are just on publically accessible tracks and paths and do not stray on to the heath or into the forest at all.
After all we are supposed to be encouraging families to get their children active and away from the dreaded X-box and video games - at least for a short time!
Note they can walk or jog around the same area for free!