BEFORE writing a letter to the Daily Echo (September 20), M Fry should get his facts right. Bournemouth Borough Council has a ‘Land Manager’ employed by the Parks Department.

So overworked is he that notices have been posted for volunteers, members of the public, to help him look after the cattle they currently own.

The parks department are not farmers but botanists and cohorts who applied for a biodiversity grant from DEFRA via Natural England.

The council chose farmification of the Stour Valley rather than other options open to them – financial reasons being paramount.

In fact, cattle have grazed the area called The Wilderness for some years now (without consultation).

We waited with baited breath for the promised increase in biodiversity. Alas, we now have a cattle-eroded river banks and swathes of noxious weeds, ragwort, thistle and an abundance of nettle. q.e.d.

May I remind Mr Fry that a Nature Reserve is a designated ‘public open space’. Natural England states that ‘a Nature Reserve is to increase people’s awareness and enjoyment of their natural environment.

Our Stour Valley is already excellent in biodiversity – hence the award of a Green Flag.

Mr Fry neglects to mention how he would stop the meadows from flooding, bearing in mind a large part of this area is a flood plain.

Finally, whilst he may feel cattle have priority over people, those havoc-wreaking hordes of wild and screaming visitors only exist in Mr Fry’s head.

BRONWEN & ALAN PENDRAY, Friends of the Stour Valley