Policing of all kinds in the UK relies upon the consent of the population, never more so than in nature conservation which successive governments have chronically starved of funds. I urge Natural England to re-negotiate with the BMC to reach an agreement with which both parties are happy. Blanket bans are an incitement for those on the fringes of our sport to revert to the bad behaviour of the past. Agreeing a restriction on the whole crag until nest sites are selected, then agreeing an evidence-based ban on specific routes which might affect the actual nest would be an acceptable compromise to most. More importantly, it would build, rather than destroy the good will which turns climbers into unpaid wardens of both birds and rare plants.