NEWS
DARTMOOR COMMONERS’ COUNCIL
Minutes of the Annual meeting of the Council held at Two Bridges Hotel, Princetown on Wednesday 6 August 2008.
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Present: |
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Professor I Mercer - Chairman |
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Mr B Lavis |
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Mr L Branfield– Vice Chairman |
Mr J J Cooper |
Mr I Mortimore |
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Mr P Abel |
Mr P French |
Mr D Powell |
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Mr C Alford |
Mr C Gregory |
Mr M Retallick |
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Mr R Ashford |
Mr G Hill |
Mr R Savery |
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Ms R Burge |
Mr J Hockridge |
Mr D Webber |
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Mr A Coaker |
Mr J Jordan |
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In attendance |
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Mrs C A Seage |
Ms Lesley Johnson |
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Mrs L J Heriot |
Mr R Steemson DNPA |
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1. Apologies: Messrs R Michelmore & R Piggot, Mrs Alford.
2. Welcome to new Members & Reappointment of NFU Member
The Chairman welcomed two new members to the Council, Mr Webber the Dartmoor National Park Authority appointee and Mr Coaker, the new South Quarter Member. The Chairman said that Ms Edwards, an Upland Specialist for the NFU in Devon, had been co-opted to the Council and he asked if Council was content to renew the cooption. All Members agreed.
3. Accounts & Auditor’s Report
The Chairman said a copy of the financial accounts had been sent to Council Members. Ms Lesley Johnson, representing Condy Mathias accountants, presented the audited accounts for the end of the financial year 2007/08. The Chairman pointed out that the Council Members’ list was incorrect as the two new Council members had been included. Ms Johnson said the appropriate amendments would be made. The Secretarial staff were congratulated on the substantial savings in office overheads.
Mr Powell said that the pony crush budget had come up each year and felt that the money should be spent on related equipment. The Secretary said that a condition of the grant was that the money must be used only for any improvements to the crush. After a short discussion the Chairman suggested that Members’ consider the matter, make some enquiries and report back to the next Council meeting.
All Members agreed that the accounts be adopted.
4. Secretary’s Annual Report
A copy of the Secretary’s annual report had been sent to all Council Members. The Secretary highlighted some areas of the report. The Council were content to receive the report.
At this point the Chairman referred to an item in the Secretary’s report. He mentioned the last Stakeholders’ Upland Entry Level Scheme meeting he had attended in London where it was believed that the scheme was going to be a useful. He said the current version that was about to be tested was falling short of their objectives and that there had been a lot of insertions since that Stakeholders’ meeting in April. He felt that the Council should keep pressing for refinements to the Upland Entry Level Scheme before it became active in 2010.
5.1 Election of Chairman
The Vice Chairman asked for any proposals for the office of Chairman. Mr French proposed Professor Mercer and Mr Jordan seconded the proposal. There were no other proposals and Professor Mercer was duly elected. Mr Branfield thanked Professor Mercer on behalf of the Council for all the excellent work he had carried during the year.
Professor Mercer thanked Members and said that he was very honoured to do the job and would do it only as long as he was useful to the Council and he thanked them for their confidence.
5.2 Election of Vice Chairman
The Chairman asked for nominations for Vice Chairman. Mr Branfield was proposed by Mr Retallick, which was seconded by Mr Cooper. There were no other nominations and Mr Branfield was duly elected.
6. Minutes
The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 21 May 2008 were confirmed and signed.
7. Matters Arising
7.1 Report on Dartmoor National Park Authority & Dartmoor Commoners' Council First Joint Meeting
The Chairman considered that the first Joint Meeting had been good and would become an annual reference point for the Commoners’ Council work with Dartmoor National Park Authority. The Council’s other representatives agreed. It was reported that working parties would be needed to pursue various matters. It had been suggested that a joint Livestock Protection Working Party be set up to raise pubic awareness about the effects of dogs out of control and speeding traffic on animals grazing the commons. The Chairman suggested that, as the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society and the National Park Authority were to appoint a Livestock Protection Officer, the Council should consider making a contribution to the costs.
It was agreed that the Dartmoor National Park Authority and Dartmoor Commoners' Council should begin to revise and update their respective byelaws and regulations. It was further agreed that the Vision Group, as it exists, would become a sub committee of the Joint Meeting. The Moorland Vision would be a standing item on the agenda of the Joint Meeting so that progress could be monitored.
Mr Retallick said, as the National Park’s Chairman and Chief Executive would soon be meeting with Natural England officers; he had spoken to them about the problems with the trialling of the new Upland Entry Level Scheme.
The Chairman said the Dartmoor National Park Authority had produced a part of the delivery table for its Management Plan, which involved the Commoners’ Council. He suggested that a copy of the table be circulated to members to consider and to be discussed at the next Council meeting. The minutes of the Joint Meeting will be circulated to all Members in due course.
7.2 Promotional Film for Dartmoor Hill Farming
The Chairman said there had been an earlier proposal that the Dartmoor Commoners' Council might invest in a film. Members agreed that the DVD produced by Dartmoor National Park for the SW Conference in June was very good. The Chairman said that on the Council’s behalf he had agreed that the National Park could label the film as having the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council support. He suggested that it was not the right time to spend £7,000 on another film but felt Council might, in the near future, decide to commission a film strictly about the commoners’ side of hill farming.
7.3 Dog Attacks – Employment of a Ranger
The Secretary reminded the Council that the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society had suggested that a part time ‘dog’ ranger be employed on the moor and offered £8,000 towards that employment. It would initially run as a pilot project that would be monitored for a period of nine months and reviewed after that time. Eight applicants had applied for the post, four of which would be interviewed on 21 August. Mr Cole would represent the Council on the interview panel. The Council agreed that although the post of Livestock Protection Ranger had been put in place mainly because of the problems experienced on Roborough Down and Whitchurch Common, it should be available to attend any related problems arising across the moor.
The Chairman asked the Council if it would make a contribution of £2,000 to the costs of appointment. Mr Coaker proposed that the Council make a contribution of £2,000. Mr French seconded the proposal. A vote was taken and all Members were in favour.
7.4 Report on SW Uplands Conference
Mr Branfield briefly reported on the SW Uplands Conference held on 27 June 2008. A report on the conference written by Mr Cowling had been sent to all Members. Mr Branfield considered it was an important conference that was held on the eve of the press announcement that there was another £3m for the SW Uplands. Mr Branfield was disappointed with the speech given by the Rural Advocate, Mr Burgess, but was encouraged by the fact that he is prepared to listen and has recently visited the SW uplands to witness the problems for himself. The challenge remains with the upland farmers to suggest ways of resolving the issues and improving the situation.
The Chairman said the Council would need to explain the issues to Lord Rooker when their meeting takes place in October. The Rural Advocate is going to hold a Hill Farming Inquiry and submit a report to Government next summer. The Chairman was sure the Council would be prepared to give evidence to such an inquiry.
8. Sheep Clearance – Autumn 2008
Members had been sent a copy of the Sheep Clearance Map showing the dividing line between the north and south commons. Dunnabridge and the whole of Roborough Down were included in the southern half of the Moor. The Secretary said that the MoD non-firing dates on Merrivale and Okehampton would be from Monday 10 November for five days. She suggested that the two week Sheep Clearance Period should be similar to last year with the southern half of Dartmoor gathering sheep off the commons by midnight on 8 November until midnight on 22 November: in the northern half, the clearance period would begin at midnight on 15 November through to midnight on 29 November. All the Council were in favour.
9. Matters Brought Forward
9.1 Statutory Instruments – Commons Act 2006 - The Dartmoor Commons (Authorised Severance) Order 2008
The Dartmoor Commons (Authorised Severance) Order 2008 was tabled. The Chairman explained that the Order gave the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council the power to veto the severance of rights in favour of Natural England on any common and the power to take severed rights and hold them itself if it thinks fit. These were the two powers given to new Commons’ Councils under the 2006 Commons Act. The above Order was made in the Council’s favour for which Schedule 1, paragraph (5) was written in the last phases of the Bill going through Parliament because of long standing representations from the Dartmoor Commoners' Council.
The Chairman needed to give the Council notice of what the Order does not do: it does not give the control to this Council, which it has given new Councils, over the leasing of common rights separate from the land to which they are attached. Members know that the Dartmoor Commoners' Council Regulation 3 prohibits the leasing of rights on Dartmoor unless the land to which they are attached goes with them. The Regulation has never been challenged in eighteen years but there is no doubt that when Council made that Regulation in 1990 it had nothing to do with severance of rights, it was simply a management matter about the control of leasing common rights. Members would recall the Chairman’s previous correspondence in 2006 that the Secretary of State had already made an Order allowing the leasing of rights in gross (i.e. not attached to land) for up to two years on all commons, except Dartmoor because of Regulation 3. The pressure for leasing has come largely from Cumbria where the leasing of rights has been the accepted practice for a very long time and where the farming population appears to be disappearing and stocking rates need to be maintained.
Defra has offered Dartmoor a chance to get in on a new Order on the basis of there being a prohibition of the leasing of rights without land on Dartmoor, which will support the Council’s own Regulation. The Chairman’s view was that this would be an opportunity to strengthen the Council’s position by having the principle enshrined in national legislation but he would need to know that Council was unanimous about the matter and that the common owners’ were supportive of it. The Council also needed to consult the associations to ensure they were also content. He asked if the Council was in agreement that the prohibition of leasing of rights without the land to which they are attached would be a sensible move and if they wished to maintain the position established in 1990 under Regulation 3. The Chairman reminded Council that the Regulation upheld an ancient principle on Dartmoor, in that if stock needed to be removed from the common, land was required to accommodate them.
Mr Coaker proposed that the Council authorise the Chairman to pursue his course to ensure that Dartmoor maintains its stance on Regulation 3, in that rights should not be leased without the attached land; Mr Retallick seconded the proposal. A vote was taken and all Council were in favour.
9.2 Revision of the 1965 Commons Register
The Chairman explained that Devon is a pilot area for revision of the 1965 Act Register, along with a few other counties; the pilot will start on 1 October 2008. Some farmers have already woken up to the fact that it might be a chance to get their entries in the register corrected because it was not right or did not happen between 1965 and 1970. There may be others who may wish to take action to correct the register. It will be for such people to contact the Land Registration Office at County Hall to see if such changes can be made.
9.3 Ragwort
Mr Ashford raised the problem of ragwort growing on the grass verges throughout the county. He asked if Council could write to the Highways Authority to ask what is being done about it. The Chairman said there were several landowners who also appear to have a problem with ragwort infestation and agreed that Council clearly ought to do what it could.
DARTMOOR COMMONERS' COUNCIL
ELECTION RESULTS 2008
The following Commoners were appointed to represent Commoners grazing 10 livestock units or more, with effect from 1 July 2008 for a period of 4 years.
EAST QUARTER Mr W J Jordan and Mr M H Retallick
WEST QUARTER Mr A H Cole and Mr G Hill
NORTH QUARTER Mr J J Cooper and Mr B W J Lavis
SOUTH QUARTER Mr A J R Coaker and Mr P French
MS REBECCA BURGE was appointed to represent Commoners in the SOUTH QUARTER grazing less than 10 livestock units with effect from 1 July 2008 for a period of 4 years. There being no nominations for this category from the East, West and North Quarters, the seats remain vacant.
C A Seage, Secretary to the Dartmoor Commoner’ Council
Tel: 01822 618892 6 June 2008
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DARTMOOR COMMONERS’ COUNCIL
SHEEP CLEARANCE DAYS
PROHIBITION NOTICE
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DARTMOOR COMMONS ACT 1985 & REGULATION 8
ALL SHEEP ARE PROHIBITED FROM THE COMMONS OF DARTMOOR DURING THE FOLLOWING DATES
1ST PROHIBITION PERIOD
SOUTHERN HALF OF THE MOOR
Roborough Down, Dunnabridge common and all common land which lies to the south of the Yelverton/Princetown/Two Bridges road (B3312) and right along the road to Dartmeet (B3357): thereafter following the line along the River Dart to Buckfastleigh must be cleared of sheep from midnight on 8 November to midnight on 22 November inclusive.
2ND PROHIBITION PERIOD
NORTHERN HALF OF THE MOOR
All common land to north of the above stated dividing line must be cleared of sheep from midnight on 15 November to midnight on 29 November.
Each Prohibition Period runs for 14 days and all commoners grazing sheep on Dartmoor are legally required to remove their sheep from the commons during the stated period in each section of the moor for the benefit of good animal husbandry. Commoners NOT clearing their sheep will be guilty of an offence and upon conviction may be fined.
For further information, please contact: The Secretary, Dartmoor Commoners’ Council, 6 Lockyer Mews, Paddons Row, Tavistock, PL19 0HF. Telephone: 01822 618892
Date: 08 September 2008
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Download: MOOR FARMING - DELIVERING THE DARTMOOR VISION provided by the Dartmoor Vision Group
Download: SW UPLANDS FEDERATION NEWLETTER April 2008
