The notification of Penwith Moors as a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) has resulted in much anxiety and anger for farmers whose land is in the designation.

Russell Darbyshire, a South West Farmer reader, has written about his own experience when his land became the subject of the very first SSSI in Somerset in 1981.

He writes:

I was quite upset when reading my January copy of South West Farmer that it announced on the front page that the Penwith Moors were to become an SSSI. 

At the end of March 2022 whilst celebrating our wedding anniversary yet again in Sennen Cove we by chance met a dairy farmer moving some cows from off the ‘top’ down nearer to his farm.  We fell into conversation and amongst other things he told us of his concern about this possible SSSI imposition.  In particular his concern for the younger generation and whether they would be able to continue farming.

At this point my wife and I told him of our personal experience when the first SSSI under the 1981 Wildlife and Countyside Act was imposed on West Sedgemoor in Somerset. We farmed in the south west corner of the moor, farming dairy cows on 200 acres. 

In 1981 we had been given an AHDS grant to increase our herd from about 70 cows up to 150 to support two families. 

Once the designation had taken place the Minister of Agriculture withdrew our fairly favourable grant and we had to re-apply on a less favourable rate and only allowed to increase the herd to 90 cows.  All this took nine months.

Bearing in mind we had just purchased an additional 21 acres on our westerly boundary, as well as borrowed heaps of dosh for all the development, a new herringbone parlour, cubicles, uprating the dairy, building a slurry store and all this had been started! 

We knew from that this point on we would be in some financial difficulties. Fortunately we had not started the next shed to hold 60 cubicles nor the upgrading of the farm tracks, let alone the second silage clamp!

What has persuaded me to write to you was that in the February edition of your paper, the comment by Michael Harvey; ‘that throughout the designation process Natural England has failed to consult with those affected.’

In 1982 the NCC, as Natural England was then known, those of us farming on and around West Sedgemoor were treated in a similar fashion.  Once the Notification Papers had been delivered the ‘Quangocrats’ of the NCC thought ‘that was that’. 

Yes, to some extent they were correct in that assumption, because the law is the law and is always superior to objections.  A number of those farming in this newly designated area were not too worried but us younger farmers looking to progress were now stymied!

The NCC called a meeting at Stoke St Gregory to outline how they were going to implement their plans and how they would control us farmers to achieve their aims.  In essence it appeared to most of the younger farmers that we were ‘their enemy’ and that they were going to stop anything that did not meet with their approval.

At this meeting when the deputy regional director stood up and waved the Wildlife and Countryside Document at us, we were informed of virtually every normal farming activity would be either stopped or controlled to such an extent that it would not be viable any more. 

It was at this point that I stood up and pointed out to Mr Rob Williams (I had met him previously in another capacity) that he was 4,000 million years too late and had he been there then he could have saved all the extinct creatures such as the Brontosaurus etc.  He was not amused. To everyone’s amazement the room erupted whilst in particular the ‘bigwigs’ were appalled but unable to calm events.

Later on in the year some of our affronted farmers arranged a demonstration at the Black Smock Inn at Oath where notification papers were burnt along with the effigies of the three main opposition protagonists.  A Sherman tank had been used to parade the car park.  Quite dramatic! 

Things did calm down eventually.  The Bishop of Bath and Wells was most upset and sent his Rural Dean around to chat to the protesters and get the feel of this uprising!  The media had a ‘hay day’!

Did the demonstration achieve anything?  Yes, it did in one way.  Following a conversation with the Peter Nicholson, the former director of the NCC based at Roughmoor Taunton, we discussed whether their tactics had been wrong.  I told him that if you want to get people to do what you want, always use the carrot and not the stick.  He agreed - but it would appear from Mr Harvey’s comments that Natural England is on another agenda.

Finally my wife and I can only offer sympathy and hope that a solution is found so that farming may continue in Penwith.

Russell Darbyshire

PS. After the imposition of milk quotas we struggled on for a couple more years but had to sell up in March 1987.

The window for submitting comment on the SSSI notification of Penwith Moors closes on Tuesday (February 7). To let Natural England know what you think about the notification, visit consult.defra.gov.uk/natural-england/penwith-moors/