Penwith Moors SSSI designation consultation deadline looms

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has cited Penwith Moors as a prime example of why a review into the government's environmental designation is needed.

The organisation’s president Mark Tufnell recently wrote to Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to highlight the plight being faced by those farming in the area.

In his letter, he said poor communication and a cavalier attitude to people’s livelihoods had been taken by Natural England, a government body, when designating the area as a SSSI.

Penwith Moors was notified by Natural England as an SSSI on October 7, 2022, causing anxiety and anger to farmers in the area.

The designation recognises the resulting special features of 59 parcels of semi-natural habitat and farmland spanning more than 3,100 hectares of lowland heath, stretching from St Just to St Ives, in West Cornwall.

Once notified, land managers must apply to Natural England for consent to carry out certain activities, including ploughing, feeding stock, spreading manure and pest control.

The consultation closes on February 7 (Image: Getty) 

Michael Harvey and his brother Christopher manage Middle Tregerest, a 280-acre dairy farm at Newbridge near Penzance, milking 150 Holstein-Friesians and producing beef.

Throughout the designation process, Mr Harvey says Natural England has continually failed to consult with those affected.

He said: “Natural England have done very little to consult with us, yet they give the impression it is a collaborative scheme.

"In reality we have had no say whatsoever.

"I was promised a face-to-face meeting with them in November, but it didn’t happen and has been pushed back to January.

"Even when the surveys were carried out, we were supposed to be consulted but we had no input into them at all.

"It’s been imposed on us rather than negotiated.

“You must apply to carry on normal management of the land but our main concern is the value of the farm going forward.

"Whilst 40 per cent of our land falls within the catchment area, there are farmers who have been impacted even more as all of their land falls within the SSSI. And we’re going to see some of these farms, which have been in their families for generations, go out of business.”

When asked for comment, a Natural England spokesperson said: “Natural England has notified Penwith Moors as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its national importance for lowland heathland, wetland and lowland acid grassland.

"These habitats in turn also support species of national importance including a population of breeding Dartford warblers, a collection of invertebrates associated with heathland vegetation, rare plants and a collection of lichens associated with the granite tors that characterise Penwith’s iconic landscape.    

Valley mires have developed under the influence of low nutrient acidic water from the granite bedrock (Image: Getty)

“In order to protect the quantity and quality of water feeding the special wetland areas, known as valley mires, some areas of farmland representing the most hydrologically significant parts of the wetland catchments are also included in the SSSI boundary.

"This is because the valley mires in the Penwith Moors have developed under the influence of low nutrient acidic water emerging from the granite bedrock and these sensitive wetland communities are vulnerable to the nutrient status of the water that feeds them.

"In order to ensure protection of the mire habitats it’s critical that farming activities in the catchment do not lead to levels of nitrogen loss into the groundwater which would impact on the sensitive wetland features."

The four-month consultation period – which allows anyone to comment on the notification - closes on February 7. 

Ann Maidment, regional director for the CLA in the south west, said: “Penwith Moors has a history dating back nearly 4,000 years when it comes to being used for agriculture and livestock grazing.

"The impact of the proposed SSSI designation is so great it will be disastrous for many landowning businesses.

"We do not want these deep seated traditions come to an abrupt end which is why we are working with anybody who is affected and providing them with the advice and support they need at this time. For those who have questions about the effects of the designation we are here to help.

“With the consultation due to end in February, it is vital that people make their voices heard, which is why we are urging anybody who hasn’t already done so to respond without delay.”

To respond to the consultation, visit https://consult.defra.gov.uk/natural-england/penwith-moors.