TO:
The Cornishman reporter for St.Just and West Penwith
Donna MacAllister
dmacallister@c-dm.co.uk
FROM:
Ian McNeil Cooke,
Men an Tol Studio
Bosullow
West Cornwall
Tel: (01736) 368282
Email: info@savepenwithmoors.com
PRESS RELEASE
GROUP FORMED AGAINST PROPOSED CATTLE GRAZING ON NINE MAIDENS COMMON, CARN KENIDJACK & CARN GALVA
The proposed enclosure for cattle grazing of Nine Maidens Common above Madron, Carn Kenidjack above St.Just and Carn Galva above Bosigran in West Cornwall will mean the following:
GATES AND FENCING
DOGS ON SHORT LEADS
FREE-RANGING CATTLE
DAMAGE TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
Is this the start of enclosing all open access moorland in West Penwith?
Are commercial interests behind the scheme?
Who benefits?
The Natural England HEATH (Heathland, Environment, Agriculture, Tourism and Heritage) Project is putting forward a management proposal to improve the quality of the Nine Maidens Common at Boskednan near Newmill, and the moors around Carn Kenidjack above St.Just, by fencing them off and grazing with cattle. Similar grazing schemes are planned for heathland at Lanyon Farm, Trewey and Busvargus.
Several other parts of the Land's End Peninsula are already being ‘managed’ in a similar way. Most, if not all of this open land is designated as Open Access as can be confirmed by looking at the most recent Ordnance Survey maps.
The National Trust, Cornwall County Council and Penwith District Council are all partners in the HEATH Project.
Is this the first step to enclosing all the wild open spaces of West Penwith? How long will it be before we encounter fences and cattle around Chun Quoit and the Men-an-Tol? Will we soon have to pay to visit local antiquities? Are commercial interests behind it? Are there financial incentives for this sudden activity after so many years of letting the moors look after themselves? Who benefits from these enclosures?
It is a spurious argument to suggest that since these areas of heathland were grazed and managed in past centuries then it is logical to do so in the 21st century. In the past few people used these spaces for recreation; now literally thousands of visitors travel to the Land’s End Peninsula to enjoy walking the coastal path and the – at present – open unobstructed moorland. They will be sadly disappointed if these proposals go ahead. The very reason so many people visit the area will be ruined; visitor numbers will fall; the local economy will suffer.
GROUP FORMED
A group of six concerned local residents met on Friday 4th July at the Men-an-Tol Studio, Bosullow, with the aim of encouraging and co-coordinating the apparent widespread opposition to enclosure of the moors.
It was felt that:
1. The HEATH and associated projects will deprive locals and tourists of safe unobstructed well-used open air recreational spaces: dog walkers, horse riders, ramblers.
2. Detrimental visual effect of fences, gates and cattle grids will destroy the wild open unspoilt feeling of these areas.
3. Cattle can cause erosion around the stone prehistoric sites causing them to become unstable and eventually to fall.
4. Free-ranging cattle will cause intimidate and deter walkers, especially those with dogs, and those not used to cattle and open country. (Health and Safety Executive have recorded 7 deaths and 50 people injured in incidents involving cattle between 1996 and 2006.)
5. Dogs will no longer be allowed to run free but have to be kept on a short lead.
6. Horse riders will encounter gates and fences that will prevent long canters or gallops; inconvenience will be caused to those riders who have to dismount to open gates.
7. Although access points (gates) will be built this will reduce accessibility to the moors and from the moors onto other areas of adjacent open access land.
8. Gated entry points funnel traffic to one point which will become very worn, muddy and wet. Cattle often gather at these points.
9. Public money spent on fencing these commons runs counter to the provisions which empower local highway authorities to spend public money on improving access to Open Access land.
10. Clearance of bracken and gorse to create fire breaks, around ancient sites and by paths, can be done by hand/mechanical means.
11. ANY ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY NATURAL ENGLAND AND OTHERS ARE FAR OUTWEIGHED BY THE USE OF THESE AREAS OF OPEN COUNTRY BY THOUSANDS OF LOCALS AND VISITORS FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES.
PETITION ORGANISED
One supporter of the group has created a dedicated web site that contains information of what is being proposed by the HEATH Project and our objections to it.
‘Save Penwith Moors’ believes that it is possible to call a halt to these planned enclosures by petitions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Natural England and The National Trust. To this aim they have included an on-line petition form that can be accessed at www.savepenwithmoors.com and urge all those who do not want to loose the present benefits of roaming the moors of West Penwith in safety and without hindrance to complete the petition.
Persons attending the meeting
Ian McNeil Cooke (Bosullow)
Ted Motler (Gulval)
Craig Weatherhill (Newbridge)
Roger Bristow (Carnyorth)
Nick Cook (Ding Dong)
Jan Beare (Newmill)
CONTACTS
SAVE PENWITH MOORS: Ian McNeil Cooke: (01736) 368282
NATURAL ENGLAND: Joe Oliver (01872) 245045
NATIONAL TRUST: Jon Brookes (01736) 796993