Military training on Dartmoor. Photo: Chris Hargreaves, MoD

Campaigners today expressed dismay at the news that military training has been given the go-ahead for another 24 years on Dartmoor.

Ministers told Parliament that Britain’s armed forces need to use the national park for exercises, including the use of live ammunition, until 2033. The present 21-year licence, from the Duchy of Cornwall, was due to expire in three years time.

Outdoor groups had campaigned to end the use of the moor for military training which, they said, was incompatible with its national-park status.

The Government’s own agency for the outdoors, Natural England, had argued that an environmental survey of Dartmoor had not taken enough account of walkers’ access and conservation.

However, the arguments were dismissed as defence minister Kevan Jones and environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies made the announcement to Parliament. There would, they said, be a review of the arrangement mid-way through the licence period.

The Campaign for National Parks’ acting chief executive Ruth Chambers expressed her disappointment at the decision. She said: “There is no doubt that our armed forces need the best possible preparation for battle and other deployments.

“However, the extent to which this essential need should be met by use of the rugged terrain and tranquil environments of our national parks has never been subject to independent scrutiny and now, at least for Dartmoor, appears to be out of bounds for discussion until 2033.

“The Government’s announcement militates against searching for alternatives to training on Dartmoor; what incentive do the military authorities have to explore these if they are being told that it’s ‘business as usual’ until 2033?”

The Open Spaces Society echoed the CNP view. The society’s general secretary Kate Ashbrook said: “It is outrageous to condemn Dartmoor for such a long period.

Kate Ashbrook

“The military has never been required to demonstrate, before an independent judge, its continuing need for Dartmoor as a live-firing area.

“This is a national park, designated for its wildness and natural beauty, and opportunities for quiet enjoyment by the public. Military live-firing clearly conflicts with those purposes.

“Yet that training is set to continue until 2033, with no review, even though in the next 21 years defence needs could change dramatically. At the very least, the licence should be granted for a much shorter period with the opportunity for review as circumstances change.

“There is a fundamental conflict between military training and national park purposes, recognised back in 1977 by Lady Sharp who presided over the only public inquiry – albeit with limited terms of reference – into military training on Dartmoor. That conflict has not gone away.”

Ms Chambers agreed: “It is far from clear how a 21-year licence will allow changes that might take place in global security and the training needs of our armed forces to be taken into account.

“Granting a licence for a timeframe in which six Olympic Games will have taken place, Government will have changed and as yet unknown changes to society will have taken place errs well beyond a cautious approach and runs the risk of locking Dartmoor into a future of military training from which it will be difficult to escape.

“As well as ensuring that our troops are trained to the highest possible standards, the Government has a responsibility to protect our national parks for current and future generations.

“It is very disappointing that in 2009, which is the 60th anniversary of the legislation that enabled our national parks to come into being, national-park interests have not been given enough weight in this decision.

“We now urge Ministers to think beyond this current decision and establish a new process to explore how training requirements can be met in the long term without compromising our finest landscapes.”

A similar note was struck by the Dartmoor National Park Authority.

Its chairman Nigel Hoskin said: “In the longer term, it is disappointing that the Government has not sought to build in safeguards that would require demonstration of continued military need.

“By the time any new licence expires it will be over 50 years since the public inquiry into military training on Dartmoor.

“Although disappointed by the outcome and by the apparent primacy of the military imperative, we remain committed to work closely with the MoD and Duchy of Cornwall at local level to ensure that while essential military needs are met, the potential for environmental and public access improvements are pursued with vigour.”

Ms Ashbrook said the OSS’s attention would now turn to the Duchy of Cornwall, owner of much of Dartmoor. She said: “We shall now talk to the duchy which has yet to make up its mind about the renewal of the licences, and see if we can persuade it to limit the term to fewer than 21 years.”

The 954 sq km (368 sq miles) of Dartmoor were designated a national park in 1951. The Dartmoor National Park Authority is charged with conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area, and promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the park by the public.

Parts of Dartmoor have been used for military training since the early 19th century. Although much of the national park is open to public use, the Okehampton, Merrivale and Willsworthy ranges are periodically closed while live firing is taking place.

Details of the arrangements for public access can be found on the Ministry of Defence website.

See also

Campaigners’ dismay at Dartmoor military plans