Dismayed by letter regarding Fen Vision

I WAS most dismayed by Geoffrey Woollard's letter regarding the National Trust's Fen Vision. Clearly he is personally against the National Trust's project, and seems to be under the misunderstanding that the land will be flooded. I must take issue with his suggestion that "most of the consultees (at the recent public consultations) were deeply critical". I attended the public consultation in my village of Swaffham Prior and, despite the dissenting voices of Mr Woollard and a few other individuals in the village who made it clear that they were against the project, I came away from the meeting certain that, like me, other local people, perhaps less vociferous than Mr Woollard, support the Fen vision and wish to see it progress. As far as I understand, one of the purposes of the consultation was for local people to raise any concerns about how the project is working out 'on the ground' and at the Swaffham Prior meeting, questions and concerns about cycle paths, locked gates, keeping rights of way open and future management of the Konik ponies were addressed by National Trust staff.

I think the time to oppose the Wicken Fen Vision (if anybody had wanted to) has long since passed. As I found out at the public meeting, the National Trust is already working with local staff, volunteers, land owners and farmers to bring this project to completion. The National Trust seems keen to address any specific concerns we have - after all, it is local people who use and know the land, footpaths, bridleways, cycle paths and waterways which are coming into the Fen Vision scheme.

As local residents, we will be some of the main beneficiaries of the extension of Wicken Fen.

Surely, if we have any concerns it is best to get on board and talk to the Fen Vision team. It seems to me that the public meetings and the survey brochures were an intelligent way to invite us to do so.

CELIA TYLER

High Street

Swaffham Prior