Farmers cry foul over MOD plan for firing range on common land

THE Ministry of Defence has been accused of a “land grab” as it attempt to turn common land into a firing range for the first time in more than a century.

Cumbrian villagers are opposing the plans to transfer ownership of a buffer zone to the Army, leaving farmers unable to use a significant part of the Pennines for grazing.

In the first attempt to deregulate common land since 1914, the MOD has applied to Cumbria county council to deregister 11,000 acres near Warcop Training Estate for use in training Army personnel. Farmers have said that the move would end hundreds of years of traditional hill farming in the upland areas of Warcop, Hilton and Murton.

John Mcdarren, secretary of the Hilton Commoners, a group that formerly had rights over part of the MOD training area, said: “This is a land grab and it is not acceptable.” A third of the country was common land until the 16th century when landlords and farmers began to enclose sections with fences and walls.

The area near Warcop now represents one per cent of the common land left in England.

In 2002, the Army expanded its training zone and took out compulsory purchase orders for the grazing rights of 70 farmers on the three fells.

Many now feel betrayed by the ministry for reneging on its pledge to keep the land on the commons register.

Others believe the Government may be testing the law to see if they can deregister commons elsewhere.

A two-day public inquiry opened yesterday in Kendal where MOD barristers will be opposed by groups such as the Open Spaces Society.

An MOD spokesman said: “We are not proposing to restrict public access in any way and have no plans to sell the land. We have applied to deregister land at Warcop Training Area to safeguard the Mod’s ability to train.”