Cornish MP calls for independent review on Penwith SSSI

A Cornish MP has called for an independent review into Natural England’s controversial decision to designate West Penwith Moors as a heavily protected nature conservation area.

Derek Thomas, Conservative MP for St Ives, said: “I implore the minister to set up an independent review in relation to Natural England and the West Penwith Moors and downs site of special scientific interest [SSSI], as has been established for Dartmoor.”

In April, MPs voted in support of a motion to hold an independent review into Natural England’s handling of consents across the Dartmoor SSSI.

See also: Opinion: Natural England’s SSSI approach is too blinkered

Defra should also review how Natural England (NE) goes about executing its responsibilities, Mr Thomas said, adding that NE had fuelled “serious tensions”.

With regard to the SSSI confirmation hearing in St Ives, Mr Thomas said: “The quango admitted that its own data was several years old and that officers had frequently diverged from SSSI selection guidelines.”

The local MP, who objected to NE’s plans to confirm the designation of a 3,044ha swathe of the Land’s End peninsula, reflected: “I was disappointed after the hearing, as it was evident that the entire board, including the chair [Tony Juniper], demonstrated a failure to understand the landscape from both a historical and ecological perspective.”

Speaking during a recent parliamentary debate, he suggested some panel members had already decided in advance to vote in favour of designation.

Referring to an NE board member, he said: “It was clear that her mind was made up before the hearing, which came as a surprise to me.”

‘Ridden roughshod’

During the debate, Mr Thomas said NE “seems to have ridden roughshod across farmers’ interests and their understanding of how to care for their natural environment.

“Everything has been determined by how Natural England officers would like it to be done.”

The MP said the only way he could see landowners coming back on board was for Defra to agree the responsibility for West Penwith to be taken away from Natural England and placed within a local partnership.

“Natural England is driving away the very people who understand and care about the issue,” he noted, referring to farmers and owner-occupiers in Penwith.

Trudy Harrison, Conservative MP for Copeland and parliamentary under secretary of state at Defra, said farmers “…have cared for Penwith moors for some 4,000 years”, adding “it is a nigh on indigenous knowledge, and that must be respected”.