Minister says Brecon must protect mining sites

Welsh environment minister Carwyn Jones has told a national park it must change its planning blueprint to safeguard sand and gravel mining sites.Park authorities in the Brecon Beacons say the ruling could have severe environmental implications.Despite 1,000 residents of Talybont-on-Usk signing a petition against mining in the area, the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) says the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority must protect the areas from being built upon in its local unitary development plan (UDP).It has been told it cannot adopt the UDP in its present form, which means all the park’s planning policies are put into doubt.

Taxing questions for Lowe Alpine marathon entrants

Competitors in this year’s Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon will get a reminder of their impact on the environment.Organisers say entrants will be quizzed on their journey to and from the event and given the chance to make a voluntary tax to offset their carbon dioxide generation.

Rivers access bill may be sunk by Government

An attempt to extend the right to roam to paddlers faces stormy waters.The Government blocked the second reading of a bill brought by Brighton MP Des Turner which would have given canoeists similar rights to those enjoyed by walkers and climbers in England and Wales.

Landslip leads to Exmoor path closure

Authorities say an Exmoor wood is likely to be closed for months.Access to Culbone Woods was restricted following landslips last weekend.

Investigation follows girl's Dartmoor death

Police will interview members of the team accompanying the girl who died at the weekend during training for a Dartmoor challenge.Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police will be trying to ascertain what happened during the incident which led to the death of 14-year-old Charlotte Shaw when she fell into Walla Brook.Det Ch Insp Steve Carey said: “There is absolutely no suggestion at all of wrongdoing.“The police are here to fully investigate the circumstances and report them to the coroner.”Reports have suggested that Charlotte, from Torrington in Devon, who was a student at the private Edgehill College in Bideford, Devon, may have hit her head in the fall.

Campaigners object to Lancashire windfarm

Campaigners have objected to plans to site a windfarm on the west Pennine moors.The site is on common land on Haslingden Moor, Rossendale, and needs the consent of the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn before it can go ahead.Energiekontor has applied to Defra to build ten wind turbines on the land.

Dog blog to guide Peak walkers

These are obviously dog days for the outdoor world: not content with just advising dog owners about how they should act in the countryside, authorities in the Peak District are launching a dog blog today at Crufts.The blog is in the form of a podcast – an audio play featuring collie-cross Barney and his friends Bingo and Kipper, and is a light-hearted attempt to educate walkers about the delights and dangers of taking dogs on to the moors during lambing and nesting time.The dog blog, Paws on the Moors, was written by Pamela Butler with help from the UK Kennel Club and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Inquest hears student loved the mountains

A winter climber who died of hypothermia in the Scottish Highlands was less than a mile from safety, an inquest heard.Richard Hardy’s body temperature was only 14°C when he was found by rescuers; normal temperature is 37°C.

Police name Snowdon death-fall walker

Police have named a 60-year-old man who fell to his death from a Snowdonia ridge on Thursday.John Richard Norcross tumbled 100m from Crib Goch, the arête on the Snowdon horseshoe.