Concern over new deal for wild camping on Dartmoor

Dartmoor bosses have sought to quell fears of a wild camping ban after forging a new deal with landowners.

On Friday, a "test case" High Court ruling gave the owner of an estate on Dartmoor the right to "remove" wild campers from his land.

But a new agreement means wild camping can continue "with immediate effect".

However, a head teacher whose pupils train for the Ten Tors Challenge on the moor has expressed concerns the new resolution is a downgrade.

Michael Johnson, from Chulmleigh Academy Trust, said: "No thought has been given to the people who were wild camping, including the children at this school.

"It feels as though we had a Rolls Royce taken from us and we have been given a second-hand pushbike with flat tyres."

He called for politicians to "intervene" before the park "loses some of its purpose".

The "agreement on principle" followed a summit on Wednesday between park bosses and landowners, Dartmoor National Park Authority said.

Whereas before there was an assumed right that people could camp without landowners' permission, they will now be restricted to specific areas.

These areas are marked on an interactive map published on the park authority's website.

Landowners who have signed up will be paid an unknown sum by the park.

However, a spokeswoman for Dartmoor National Park Authority said no fees would be passed on to wild campers.

She said a "nominal fee" would be paid to those landowners willing to share their land with campers.

Dr Kevin Bishop, chief executive of Dartmoor National Park Authority, said they had "worked quickly" on a resolution that would "keep Dartmoor special for everyone".

The agreement means wild campers must adhere to guidelines based on "leave no trace" principles, the authority said.

The authority said "fly camping", often involving large groups lighting barbecues or open fires, was still prohibited.

Members of the Dartmoor Commons Owners' Association have signed a "permissive agreement" which stops short of making their land a public right of way.

John Howell, chair of Dartmoor Commons Owners' Association, said: "We recognise the importance of people being able to enjoy the natural beauty of Dartmoor, including through wild camping, and the benefits that this can bring."

The Duchy of Cornwall, which owns 67,000 acres (270 sq km) on Dartmoor, said they were "pleased to have found a way forward quickly and in partnership with the Dartmoor National Park Authority and other landowners".

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award said there had been a "long history of wild camping on Dartmoor, and we welcome the news that this will continue".

The organisation, which supports outdoor challenges for young people, said it was "liaising with the Dartmoor National Park Authority to understand the full detail and implications of this agreement".

Alexander Darwall and his wife Diana, who own the Blachford Estate on Dartmoor, took the case to the High Court on Friday last week, prompting fears about wild camping being banned.

They said it was never their intention to ban camping on Dartmoor, but they wanted to "clarify the law".

They said they were seeking a "mutually-satisfactory arrangement".

However Guy Shrubsole, from the Right to Roam campaign, called it a "stitched-up deal".

He said: "The public have just had their right to wild camp summarily snatched from them by a wealthy landowner.

"Now we're expected to be grateful to landowners who grant us permission to wild camp - and pay for the privilege."

He said a protest march on the moor planned for Saturday would still go ahead.

There has been widespread opposition to the court ruling on social media.

Before Friday Dartmoor was the only area of England and Wales where under a local law there had been an assumed right to wild camp without the landowner's permission.

It was revealed in December that Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks were considering urgent measures to save money, including redundancies, selling off land and closing visitor centres.

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