National Park boss is slated by her own staff in a ferocious letter (From Daily Echo)

New Forest National Park boss attacked by staff in letter

5:30pm Thursday 11th June 2009 in New Forest By Chris Yandell, Chief Reporter, New Forest

Lindsay Cornish

SHE’S the £90,000-ayear head of the New Forest National Park who is behind plans for road tolls, dog-free car parks and tighter controls on keeping horses.

But now Lindsay Cornish finds herself at the centre of a bitter war of words with some of her own staff who have labelled her authoritarian, single-minded and blinkered.

In a letter to one of Britain’s top civil servants, they protest at what they describe as the autocratic behaviour of the 57- year-old National Park’s chief executive.

The anonymous 2,000-word letter, seen by the Daily Echo, purports to come from 11 managers and says staff have reached breaking point over their “anger, frustration and disillusionment” at her running of the organisation.

But Ms Cornish has hit back, saying in a statement she is shocked and disappointed by the comments.

The letter has been sent to Helen Ghosh, the most senior civil servant at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which oversees national parks. It questions Ms Cornish’s ability to work with other organisations and members of her own staff, many of whom, it says, are questioning their future.

One passage says: “Her actions add nothing to the reputation of the authority, mitigate against successful partnership working, suppress staff enthusiasm and initiative and have created an authority that is almost ashamed of itself.”

Last night a Defra spokesman said: “We are watching developments closely.”

New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne told the Daily Echo: “When staff rise up in rebellion against someone’s management style, questions have to be answered.

“Lindsay Cornish has some explaining to do. If this analysis is correct, and she behaves in the way staff say she does, she should resign.”

The letter follows months of controversy over NPA proposals including dog-free car parks, tighter restrictions on horse keeping, and road tolls.

Forest Uprising, the group formed to fight the proposals, has praised staff for speaking out.

A spokesman said: “Questions must be answered at the very highest level of government. We believe the position of Ms Cornish is now quite untenable.”

In a statement Ms Cornish said she was “shocked and disappointed”

by the comments made in the letter.

She said she and the NPA chairman, Clive Chatters, would be talking to staff and the NPA’s partners about the issues raised.

An NPA spokesman added: “Lindsay has seen the letter and is aware of its contents although she was not sent a copy.”

The letter refers to four members of staff who left the authority after “making the mistake” of clashing with Ms Cornish.

Its publication coincides with the resignation of one of the NPA’s top officers after only a few months in the post.

Planning director Richard Lemon, who is not one of the four, is leaving the organisation to take up a post with Natural England.