Lib Dem Calls to Protect Flora and Fauna Fall on Deaf Ears

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Jun 2010

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats are today expressing their disappointment that the Conservative run County Council has ignored suggestions to help Oxfordshire wildlife. Safeguarding and enhancing biodiversity - the amount and variety of wild animals, insects and plants in an area - has been a duty placed on local authorities since 2006, and today the Lib Dems suggested a number of ways in which the County Council could improve its work in this area. However, this was turned down flat by the ruling Conservative group.

Cllr Anne Purse said, "Nationally one-third of priority species and two-thirds of habitats are in decline - and the picture is likely to be similar here, despite very good work by the Oxfordshire Nature Conservative Forum. I had hoped to throw the weight of the County Council behind their work - besides what it could do itself, the Council could have had a huge influence on others in a position to make those small changes that together have a major effect. I am very disappointed that in this, the International Year of Biodiversity, the Conservatives are still so stuck in the mud that they can't see the trees for the wood."