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00:00It's not been handled very well.
00:02There was very little communication and empathy
00:04with people involved, the communities involved.
00:08And if you want to take them over,
00:10there needs to be, I feel, better engagement.
00:13And I was concerned about the understanding as well of Inneslas.
00:18They were saying they're closing the retail side of it
00:21and the food and retail offer.
00:24But it is actually a nature reserve.
00:26And they struggled to get that across.
00:29They felt they struggled to get that across to NRW.
00:31And when we questioned them,
00:32this felt like there was very little empathy
00:34and understanding in that.
00:35So I wanted to raise that here.
00:38Okay. Thank you for that.
00:40And I'm sure NRW will be hearing this as well.
00:42And I do, just to give you that reassurance,
00:44I have regular discussions with NRW.
00:47And we've raised this matter of effective communication
00:52as well on what is and what is not happening.
00:55And in terms of Inneslas,
00:58just to tell you that, you know,
01:00I think there is an understanding
01:02that the staff within Inneslas
01:03have probably gone above and beyond,
01:06above and beyond actually what they are contracted to do.
01:09So they've also offered advice and signposting
01:12and nature advice and so on.
01:14But there is no intention whatsoever
01:16to withdraw from the nature conservancy aspects,
01:19the biodiversity aspects,
01:22the role that they're doing out there in the landscape
01:24around Inneslas.
01:27What they have found necessary to do in the consultation
01:31that they've engaged with unions and presented to the board
01:34is step back, as you know,
01:35from the food and catering and retail side,
01:40simply because in order to focus on the statutory duties.
01:43But I think your point is well made.
01:45The communication and the openness with local people
01:49we're really concerned about,
01:50well, what's the future then for the nature side
01:53and the members of staff there as well.
01:54And NRW, I'm sure, will be hearing this as we are.
01:58And we do engage with them on this
01:59when we hear it from committee members and others.
02:02Thank you, Julie.
02:03I'd just like to support what Caroline has said about this,
02:07because I've been approached, you know, from Inneslas
02:10and it was a sort of feeling that there was no recognition
02:13of the actual work that they were doing.
02:16And I have heard what you've said, you know,
02:20that you and NRW will have heard,
02:25but it just does seem, you know, unsatisfactory situation.
02:30I think they're going to need to keep on that level
02:32of communication now with local people,
02:34because they have a real intention to do what is right,
02:38particularly for the Nature Conservancy around Inneslas.
02:41It is the catering retail stuff that they're stepping back from.
02:46And I have to say, in the financial constraints they're under,
02:50that's probably the right thing to do to focus on NRW's core roles.
02:56But in doing so, the sensitivity of dealing with local community
02:59and the sensitivity of dealing with existing staff members
03:02is what they have to navigate.
03:03I don't envy the role that they've gone through.
03:05Neither do I envy the staff who've been in the midst of this.
03:08But I would just encourage saying here publicly in front of committee,
03:12as I've said to NRW directly,
03:14to keep engaging with local communities and staff
03:19as they transition here.
03:21I'm hopeful as well, by the way, as NRW are,
03:24that on the catering retail side of things,
03:27that there will be the opportunity then for others to step in and provide that.
03:30Because I know that is one of the added value pieces
03:36for visitors and for local people within it.
03:38But their focus on the conservation and the biodiversity
03:42and the natural processes will continue regardless.
03:46That's useful to have that on the record.