Archived press release

Top Wildlife Area Ploughed - SSSI Totally Destroyed

16 March 1998

The Gwaum cwm cownwy SSSI in Montgomery District, Powys was entirely ploughed up by a tenant farmer to grow rye grass and get bigger headage payments [1]. The site was a wet meadow important for wildflowers such as heath spotted-orchid, bogbean and devil's-bit scabious. Site owners Severn Trent are large landowners in the area.

Friends of the Earth and other green groups have written to the Prime Minister calling on the Government to introduce new wildlife laws in the Autumn Queen's Speech to prevent more sites suffering the same fate and to support farmers to manage such sites positively.Environment Minister Michael Meacher has promised new laws to improve protection for wildlife but has failed to say when they will be brought in [2]. Friends of the Earth has also written to Agriculture Minister Jack Cunningham demanding that headage payments are reformed to prevent destruction of 'unimproved' pasture. Instead Friends of the Earth would like to see farmers supported for managing the land in an environmentally friendly way.

News of the site's destruction was suppressed by the Government's wildlife watchdog the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) until some months after the ploughing occurred [3].CCW says the site was destroyed by the new owner before the tenancy was finalised, and before the tenant was told that the site was a SSSI [4]. Severn Trent knew the site was a SSSI but did not tell the new tenant. Under the law it is not required to do so.

Matt Phillips of Friends of the Earth said: “This beautiful and important site was lost in the hunt for farm subsidies. Our existing wildlife laws are so full of holes that this act of wanton destruction can take place perfectly legally. And we as taxpayers are paying for the desecration by footing the bill for headage payments. The entire Common Agricultural Policy is little more than a racket, and our wildlife is its victim. When will the Government finally step in to stop this subsidised vandalism? We must support farmers adequately for managing these sites positively for wildlife which would be good for farmers and the countryside.”

The Government's own wildlife agencies have grown increasingly angry at the weak state of wildlife laws. CCW recently secured an injunction against a farmer at Gwynedd Pendinas SSSI in Dyfed following damage to the site. English Nature has recently expressed concerns over huge compensation payments at High Wood, Dunmow SSSI in Essex and large-scale damage to Leek Moors SSSI in Derbyshire .

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Fields of rye grass support more livestock than 'unimproved' meadows. More livestock allows the farmer to claim more agricultural payments as support is paid per head of sheep or cattle. At present every ewe attracts a 'headage' subsidy of £13.32 with an additional payment in Less Favoured Areas of £4.84. Headage payments are a common cause of agricultural intensification. They are also the cause of substantial overgrazing problems in upland areas.

[2] Michael Meacher, BBC Radio 4, 18 November 1997: “We are very concerned about the failure to protect Sites of Special Scientific Interest... We are reviewing exactly that situation, and we do intend to bring forward new legislation which will revise the Wildlife and Countryside Protection [sic] Act of 1981. I am keen to have that legislation on the statute book, hopefully in the second parliamentary session”. He added: “We need the changes in the Common Agricultural Policy rules. That is what we are trying to bring about. We want to see a CAP with a major reduced budget and more of the budget which remains going on agri-environmental schemes.”. When asked by the interviewer: “Can we expect to see a major overhaul... of existing laws protecting wildlife which will apply to all Departments who come into contact with wildlife in one way or another?” Mr Meacher said: “The answer to that is Yes”.

[3] It is understood the actual ploughing may have taken place last Summer.

[4] During an arrangement such as a change of agricultural tenancy, new tenants are able to secure 'prior entry', before the change of hands is secured and full searches have been conducted. CCW claims this 'prior entry' allowed the farmer to plough the site before the tenancy was confirmed. CCW is legally required to inform all owners and occupiers of the presence of SSSIs on their land, but this would not apply before a tenancy was legally finalised. Severn Trent, as a water company, has duties with regard to protecting SSSIs,but legally it is not required to inform a tenant of the SSSI status nor to mention that fact in tenancy negotiations. If owners and occupiers had a legal 'duty of care' regarding SSSIs,as proposed in the Wildlife Charter, this loophole would be closed. The Wildlife Charter,published in November 1997 included a range of proposed legal changes drawn up by 22 wildlife organisations including Friends of the Earth, the RSPB, WWF-UK and the Wildlife Trusts.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust