PLANS by Redbridge Council to reorganise the borough's nature conservation team have met with strong opposition.

The team is responsible for implementing the London Bio-Diversity Action Plan which aims to safeguard green space and focus conservation work towards habitats and species which may be rare or threatened.

However, a reshuffle will see their work done by Community Rangers and critics believe they lack the key skills required to do the job properly.

Baiba Greatrex, 63, of Grange Avenue in Woodford Green, has been a member of London Wildlife Trust for years and thinks that the nature conservation team requires more resources rather than having them taken away.

She added: "It seems to me that it's completely undesirable as rangers don't really know what's going on ecologically. The proposed sale of allotments and unsustainable development on brownfield sites demonstrate the current failure to protect valuable land where many plants, insects, birds and animals live.

"At present there's only one permanent member with volunteers doing most of the work which is not sufficient as the action plan is supposed to be implemented on a local level."

A spokeswoman for Redbridge Council denied that the restructuring would have detrimental effects on the area and insisted that the change was intended to bring benefits.

She added: "The rangers will continue to do the work of the nature conservation team, including community events and consultation, developing initiatives in parks and open spaces and implementing the Bio-Diversity Action Plan.

"The community rangers will work closely with our parks development and operations team to enhance, develop and protect our open spaces and habitats in the borough."