COUNTY council chiefs said they had held a "productive meeting" with representatives from the Quantock Hills AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) over the future funding of the service. Cllr David Hall, Somerset County Council's cabinet member for business, inward investment and policy, also met with officers from the Mendip Hills, Blackdown Hills and Cranborne Chase AONBs. The council said the meeting had been arranged to discuss how partners could work together to deliver services. Although nothing has been formally agreed, there have been suggestions that the county council could cut its AONB funding by 90 per cent in the next financial year. The proposal would mean the Quantocks AONB loses £21,000 from the county authority, but that would prevent it drawing down another £60,000 from Defra. Defra gives the hills service 75 per cent of what it receives from elsewhere and that money is used to employ a small team dedicated to attracting additional external funding. Alan Hughes, chairman of the Friends of Quantock, said the service gave "astonishing value for money" and generated an additional £15 for every £1 given by the county council. He said he understood the need for the county council to make savings but said the grant to the AONB service was just 0.05 per cent of the authority's overall expenditure on open spaces and recreation. A spokesman for the county council said representatives had been told no decisions had been made on any savings. The spokesman said they had also agreed that officers from funding partners would work with AONB managers to try and secure a sustainable future for the services in the coming years. Cllr Hall added: "We had an open and positive discussion about the challenges we all face and about planning for the sustainable future of our AONBs. "They are important assets that contribute towards many environmental, economic and social objectives and it was heartening that partners are committed to working together constructively to plan for their future so that they continue their good work." The local authority funding partners and AONB managers are due to meet again in the coming weeks. In the interim, the Friends of Quantock have launched an online petition to fight any proposal to cut funding. The petition and more details about the friends is available at http://quantockpetition.org.uk">http://quantockpetition.org.uk.