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ADDED
Saturday 11th February 2012
TOR NOON AGAIN
Issues
surrounding the stock proofing and grazing at Tor Noon continue to
erupt.
Several
weeks ago a local farmer [X] who had been asked by a Natural England
official "to try to stop this stupid hate campaign which has sprung up on both
sides of the divide in our precious Rural community" [X's words] accused SPM of making the life of
[Y] a “good
friend” Hell on
Earth. Here is the gist of our response with names omitted.
From information we have just received from English Heritage [EH] it is
now clear that your good friend neglected to apply for Scheduled Ancient
Monument Consent as instructed to do so, and
that EH had sent a warning letter informing that an offence had been
committed. Did you know this when you accused SPM that we
“have made this person’s life Hell on Earth”?
You write that you are sick to death of all these legal implications that
is SPM’s unfortunate “favourite tool”. I should point out that we
have always campaigned within the law – whatever other people might
infer – and this is one of the few tools we have to challenge the
grazing/fencing regime. We expect those on the other side of the fence
(excuse the pun) to behave in similar manner.
You ask if SPM can do anything to resolve things with your friends. I
would reply by suggesting that if all consents had been applied for and
agreed then there would be no problem. Whatever the case it is now quite
clear that the problems your “good friend” has been faced with
results from neglect to apply for legally required consents prior to
carrying out stock proofing works.
Assuming you knew all the facts, and in view of this recent EH
information, SPM insist on an apology and withdrawal of your previous
‘attack’ on our integrity before any further correspondence between
us takes place.
There are also, as you are probably aware, two other consents neglected
by your “good friend”: Section 147 approval to install two gates
across public rights of way and approval to erect stock proofing on
Registered Common Land.
In addition, the two members of SPM who walked the area with the land
owner [Y] were told quite categorically that the public right of way
going across Y's field and side garden was no longer so when in fact it
is most definitely still a PRoW. We do not like to be told such
deliberate untruths and this motivated SPM to take a closer look at what
was going on at Tor Noon.
*****
Following further query from SPM, English Heritage has now confirmed to us
that: “A
warning letter has been issued [to Y] regarding the illegal erection of the
gate and electric fencing. No legal action will be taken at present,
although a record will be kept and may be referred to in case of further
infringements” and that Scheduled Monument Consent has been applied
for “in order to keep/re-erect the electric fencing from the time of
issue of the SMC although, as I remarked previously, the need for SMC
for this operation is debatable. Given the circumstances (associated
damage) the grazier was required to do so in this instance”.
See
more on Tor Noon
BARBED WIRE
AGAIN
As reported below a complaint was
sent to Cornwall Council [08/11/2011] concerning hazardous old barbed
wire left behind on Carnyorth Common after a controlled burn. Although
some of this was quickly taken away, more still remains on-site with no
further action taking place. A further complaint has been made with a
suggestion - again - that, as a gesture of good will towards the public who ultimately
pay for these agri-environmental schemes through taxation, the ruinous
wooden stiles and fencing posts, that have been an eye sore here for
decades, also be removed (see below).
It is an appalling indictment of those tasked with managing
our environment that so little care is taken to ensure the safety of
public users of this unique landscape and, as I understand it, the landowner/occupier is legally
responsible and can be sued in the civil courts “by someone for injury
or damage resulting from the state of the land” [see http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/CA%20150-1%20liability_tcm6-27731.pdf].
DEFRA's
Code
of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock - Cattle
page 14 (83) states: "You should keep all the
farm’s fields and buildings clear of debris such as wire or batteries
(with their risk of lead poisoning), or plastic or sharp metal objects
that could injure the cattle or rip out their ear tags and damage their
ears." http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb7949-cattle-code-030407.pdf
STOP
PRESS (Friday 17.37): an email was received from the
Natural England Lead Advisor, Land Management and Conservation based in
Truro that he had been informed by the HLS agreement holder that the
redundant fencing was removed yesterday morning; i.e. the day after our
complaint was made. Quick work. So we can have some effect after all.
However
there is still old barbed wire on the border between the burnt open
access land and the grass field where grazing animals are sometimes
seen.
Back
to LIST OF HEADLINES
ADDED
Saturday 4th February 2012
THE
MAGIC 47
The report by English Heritage [EH] published in November 2011
Management recommendations
following reports of damage to the monument states on page 4 that
“Visitor numbers can be heavy at the monument [Tregeseal Stone
Circle], with 47 counted during a two hour period on the 5th
August 2011”. This very precise figure is strange since other attendees at
the meeting did not recall anything like that number of individuals
although there were more people on the moor than any of us had seen
there for a long
long time, even for a fine morning at the height of the tourist season.
Coincidence? Don't believe it for a moment. SPM thought this would be a
likely strategy by Natural England/English Heritage to ‘disprove’
our contention that the Common has
become a ‘ghost moor’ since cattle were introduced.
A reliable source now informs us that this figure of 47 was
given to the EH official at the end of the meeting, but that the figure
referred to the number of people on and around the Common, not just at
the circle which would have meant an average of one person every two and
a half minutes interrupting the meeting. So it appears that the Report has been ‘sexed up’ to
insist that
visitors can be “heavy at the monument” - they certainly weren't on
that August morning.
We
now know that the person making this precise figure was standing for much
of the meeting on the Carn Kenidjack side of the circle with his back to
the moors. So how could be see exactly 47 people? Is this 'magician'
seeing double, treble or even quadruple, or is he merely mathematically
challenged?
HE SHOULD GO
FOR AN EYE
TEST
See
the English Heritage report and SPM's response
Back
to LIST OF HEADLINES
ADDED
Saturday 28th January 2012
CARNYORTH
COMMON – burns,
firebreaks & barbed wire
 
Left:
Another controlled fire has taken place near Higher Botallack.
Right:
More firebreaks have been cut – some on land of
unknown
ownership.
A
complaint has been sent to Cornwall Council concerning old barbed wire
still remaining on this open access land that poses a dangerous hazard to
the public, even after some wire was removed after a previous complaint
last October. SPM has also requested that, as a
gesture of good will and a long awaited visual enhancement of the
environment, the ruinous wooden stiles and fencing posts could be taken
away at the same time – they have been an eye sore for decades (below).  
BRACKEN
CONTROL
Asulam has been one of
the foremost herbicide methods of tackling bracken but as from 1st
January this year it has been illegal to sell, transfer or promote this
product. Read more at http://www.brackencontrol.co.uk
Back
to LIST OF HEADLINES
ADDED
Saturday 21st January 2012
HAS
NATURAL ENGLAND FAILED TO LEARN ANYTHING?
Following
on from several unlawful works done under the HEATH
Project during 2008 (lead partner Natural England) it has now become
apparent that yet more probably unlawful stock proofing works have been
installed under an agri-environmental scheme drawn up by Natural
England. See TOR NOON
– some notes, queries and answers.
Back
to LIST OF HEADLINES
ADDED
Tuesday 17th January 2012
ARE
YOU A RIGHT THINKING MEMBER OF SOCIETY?
PRESS RELEASE 16th January 2012
- ALLEGED LIBEL AGAINST
CORNWALL COUNCIL
CLICK
HERE
ADDED
Saturday 14th January 2012
ARCHAEOLOGY
& GRAZING
More areas have been added: Carn Galva, Nine Maidens Common,
Men-an-Tol and Lanyon Quoit Crofts. CLICK
HERE
MEETING
WITH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
The
three Save Penwith Moors 'public faces' had a 45 minute meeting with
Andrew George MP to discuss moorland management and the objectives we
campaign to achieve.
Back
to LIST OF HEADLINES
ADDED
Saturday 7th January 2012
THE
CORNISHMAN
In
response to an article the previous week about the English Heritage report
a letter was sent by SPM to the local weekly newspaper and published in
full on Thursday 29th December. CLICK
HERE
A
TIME TO REMEMBER
CARNYORTH
COMMON MEETING: As a follow up to
recent correspondence in The
Cornishman concerning the English Heritage report on ‘management’
of Tregeseal Circle after repeated cattle damage it is well worth reading
this report from the meeting at Carnyorth Common on 15th December 2010 of
the Moorland Access Group, Representing the Cornwall Countryside Access
Forum.
This
meeting included a senior official from Natural England and the report
came out with many criticisms of the stock proofing and grazing regime in
which this official does not appear to have objected – see http://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/documents/s27831/Moorland%20Access%20Working%20Group_Report.pdf
AND
THIS
From
St Just Town Council 29th September 2008
http://www.savepenwithmoors.com/X2011%20ST%20JUST%20TC%20minutes.pdf
WHO
IS OPEN AND TRANSPARENT?
Ironic
isn’t it that, as far as I am aware, the only place that the public can
access the Waldon Report commissioned by Natural England; the minutes of
the now defunct Heathlands Forum; and the recent English Heritage report
on Tregeseal Circle management is on the Save Penwith moors web site.
http://www.savepenwithmoors.com/X2011%20WALDON%20REPORT.pdf
http://www.savepenwithmoors.com/X2011%20FORUM%20MINUTES.pdf
http://www.savepenwithmoors.com/X2011%20TREG%20EH.pdf
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