BASILDON Council will be asked to set out its opposition to plans to cut rangers at Langdon Hills Country Park.

The Save Langdon Hills Action Group was set up in protest after Thurrock Council announced it was reducing staff levels.

The council has now announced it will keep two full-time rangers at the park, instead of its previous plan to reduce numbers from five to one.

Thurrock Council announced its policy after meeting with members of the action group.

Group spokesman Charles Shearer said: “The meeting was very good news for the action group as both One Tree Hill and Westley Heights will now have resident rangers and each will be full-time rangers for the park –a major concession.”

Protesters argued the council could be fined for not having appropriate staff looking after areas of special scientific interest within the 400-acre park.

Mr Shearer said: “The council suddenly understood that getting someone to sit on a tractor and mow the grass in an area of special scientific interest would be a complete disaster.”

But Linda Allport-Hodge, leader of Basildon Council’s Ukip group, voiced her concerns at the cuts.

She has put forward a motion, which will be debated at Thursday’s full council meeting, asking Basildon Council to makeaformal representation to Thurrock Council expressing opposition to the proposed cuts”.

Protesters fear popular events at Langdon Hills Country Park will be put in jeopardy.

But a Thurrock Council spokesman said cuts were necessary because of a reduction in the grant the authority receives from the Government.

The grant has decreased by £10million for the current financial year, compared to 2014/15.

The action group said it was pleased with the concessions made by the council, but was wary that it had only committed staff for the next 12 months.