PLANS to boost tourism in the district by including villages near Halstead in a conservation area, are still on course despite plans to cut the project’s funding.

Campaigners want to extend the Dedham Vale area of outstanding natural beauty to include Twinstead, Alphamstone, Bures Hamlet, Middleton, Lamarsh, Great Henny and Little Henny.

The Stour Valley Partnership launched the campaign in January last year and is awaiting a report it commissioned from specialists which should be ready by April.

Partnership manager Simon Amstutz said: “It’s an extremely long process and a particularly frustrating one because there is nothing locally we can do about it.

“Because it’s such a significant designation there’s a due process to go through that takes a long time. It means that the area becomes nationally recognised as a place of interest and with that comes the benefit of the tourist industry, because people will want to come and see that.

“With that comes opportunities for holiday accommodation, pubs and eating establishments.

“It also means that the landscape itself is protected in planning terms.

“It’s not about preserving what we see today but when development goes on in an area of outstanding natural beauty, planners have to consider the special qualities of that landscape.”

Halstead Gazette:

Braintree Council contributes £16,000 a year to the project but is looking at reducing this to £12,000.

Mr Amstutz said although Braintree Council’s contribution is important, it only makes up about four per cent of the total funding.

He said: “If they want to reduce our contributions then they will have to do so. I have restructured my team twice in the last five years as local authorities had to reduce their contributions to us.”

A Braintree Council spokesman said no final decision had been made. The results of public consultation on savings plans will be discussed at a meeting on February 4.