Royal Society criticises lab cuts

About 200 researchers and technical staff could lose their jobs

The UK's top scientists say vital work on environmental issues could be undermined by plans to close a number of global warming research centres.

The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology's sites at Dorset, Oxford, Monkswood in Cambridgeshire and Banchory, Scotland, have been earmarked for closure.

Two hundred staff could lose their jobs under the plans by parent body the Natural Environment Research Council.

The Royal Society has written a letter to the council outlining its concerns.

Prof David Read, vice president of the Royal Society, which is the UK's leading scientific academy influencing national policies, said: "We are concerned that such large scale cuts in core science funding will compromise the very high quality of environmental science for which the centre is renowned.

Independent advice

"Of particular concern in this regard are the threats posed to the vitally important long term environmental monitoring sites, programmes and data sets that play such a key role in underpinning our understanding of the natural environment and environmental change."

The letter says that it is not clear from the business plan for the next five years what activities will end or how work will continue with the loss of so many specialist staff.

The job cuts at the centre - which offers independent advice on a range of environmental issues, including climate change - would affect researchers and technical and administrative staff.

Four remaining sites - in Bangor, Edinburgh, Lancaster and Wallingford - will become the focus of the centre's work following the closures.

Its administrative headquarters will move from Swindon to Wallingford, Oxfordshire, if the plans go ahead.

The council insists the restructuring would enable it "to continue to deliver high quality research and environmental advice".

A final decision concerning funding is expected to be made in early March.