Archived press release

'three peaks' mount savaged by sheep

10 June 1998

Government wildlife adviser English Nature is proposing thousands of acres around the summit of Whernside, one of the Three Peaks in North Yorkshire [2] for 'denotification' as a SSSI - a designation that indicates it is one of the nation's most important wildlife areas.The news comes just weeks after Friends of the Earth revealed that a Welsh SSSI, Gwaun cwm Cownwy, had been entirely destroyed in pursuit of headage payments [3]. Today [9 June] the Commons Environment sub-committee begins an inquiry into English Nature.

A letter from English Nature dated 5 May 1998 states time has finally run out for the site which was first designated in 1958: 'Much of the land around the summit of Whernside and to its Northern side has been heavily grazed for some time and this land is proposed for denotification as a Site of Special Scientific Interest'. The letter continues: 'We and other conservation bodies continually raise the issue of overstocking and other agricultural management causing continuing problems on the hills'.

Friends of the Earth has called on the Government to introduce its new wildlife laws in the next Queen's Speech [4] and demanded headage payments be urgently reformed. It has also called on English Nature to seek restoration of the site through positive management rather than condemn it to further damage through removal of the designation.

Matt Phillips of Friends of the Earth said: 'This year Whernside is celebrating its fortieth year of SSSI status. It is clear that this designation has meant absolutely nothing in securing its protection. The loss of its wildlife value is testament to the weakness of our wildlife laws. Farming subsidies are munching their way through our wildlife heritage while MAFF is passing the buck. Whernside is a national asset famous to walkers and conservationists alike. How many more of our wildlife treasures do we have to lose before the Government gives our best areas the protection they deserve? We must have new wildlife laws urgently and headage payments must be reformed.'

[1] Whernside SSSI is designated for its outstanding assemblage of plant species including parsley fern. It is particularly important for its limestone pavement habitat, but the part of the site under threat of denotification includes 'blanket bog' rich in cottongrass, heathers, bilberry and rushes and heather rich heath. Farmers in the area have commoner's rights known as 'gaits' which allow them a quota of ewes on the area. However, these have not prevented over-stocking.

Under the Hill and Livestock Compensatory Allowance more livestock allows a 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. When heathlands are over-grazed, the heather is destroyed to be replaced by grasslands.

Several Government agencies have failed to resolve the issue at Whernside including MAFF (which is responsible for the ESA), English Nature (responsible for the SSSI) and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (responsible for the National Park). The problem at Whernside is thought to have been caused by the stock of just five farmers.

English Nature and the Countryside Council for Wales have stated that over-grazing is the single most serious form of agricultural damage to SSSIs. Their figures show that between 1991/92 and 1995/96 400 SSSIs were damaged by agricultural activities.

[2] The other peaks: Ingleborough and Pen y Ghent, are also SSSIs. Whernside is part of Yorkshire Dales National Park and is further designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. Thousands of people do the 'Three Peaks Walk' every year.

[3] Situated in Powys, Gwaun cwm Cownwy SSSI (a wet meadow) was totally destroyed when the tenant farmer ploughed the site in order to lay rye grass which can support higher numbers of sheep.The site was owned by Severn Trent Water, but the destruction of the site occurred under a legal loophole as the tenant was not told the land was a SSSI. FOE revealed the destruction on 16 March,1998.

[4] 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'.

More details on SSSIs can be found at Wildplaces! website.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust