LISS Conservation Volunteers, which has looked after the Riverside Walk for 13 years, will be wound up on Monday night. Parish councillors were this week told the workers would continue under the management of East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) with administrative help from the parish. Chairman Roger Mullenger told councillors on Monday that he had met with John Meader, acting chairman of Liss Conservation Volunteers, and Martin Healey, EHDC's countryside co-ordinator, during which the district council had agreed most of the points raised by the conservation group. "From next Monday night Liss Conservation Volunteers will cease to exist and the management will be taken over by EHDC. We will help out with some of the administrative tasks and look after funds until another body is created as the successor." Mr Mullenger added: "It's a great shame that it has come to this. A huge amount of work has been put in by many volunteers for the last 13 years. It would be nice to keep it going and use these volunteers." But he said there were question marks over EHDC's management of the group, adding: "I'm not sure there is a lot of confidence in these arrangements, but we must give them a go and see what happens." Mr Meader said he shared Mr Mullenger's sentiments but hoped the new arranagmenrt would work. "As far as the community is concerned, hopefully they will not see any significant difference in the management of the Riverside Walk," he said. "But I share your concern that if EHDC doesn't manage it along the lines we understand from the proposal, then perhaps the workforce as we know it will disappear into the undergrowth."
