A plan to turn moorland in the far south-west of England into a heavily protected nature conservation area has been approved despite warnings that it will wreck farming in the region.
There were calls of “Shame on you!” and “Resign!” as members of the Natural England board voted to designate 59 blocks of land in Penwith Moors in Cornwall as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), arguing that this will preserve precious flora and fauna.
Critics say it could lead to farmers quitting because they would face so many restrictions, which would risk fundamentally changing the character of a landscape managed by humans since prehistoric times.
The meeting in the Cornish harbourside town of St Ives on Wednesday became so tense that security guards were posted at the back of the room for the vote.
Tony Juniper, the Natural England chair, acknowledged there was “anger and concern” but said the body would work with landowners and farmers to make the designation work in what he called a “magical landscape”.
Outside, Eric Murley, who has a dairy farm at Pendeen, said: “I feel like they’ve told us to get stuffed.” His son, Christopher Murley, added: “It’s a bad day for Cornwall and a bad day for Cornish wildlife.”
Natural England decided that the area, which covers about 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) and stretches 11 miles from St Ives to St Just, should be designated an SSSI because it is an important habitat for rare birds, plants and insects.
Dave Slater, Natural England’s regional director, told the meeting that the moors – a unique mosaic of lowland heath, grassland, acid fen and pockets of woodland – were home to rare and endangered plants such as coral necklace, pale dog violet and Cornish moneywort.
Rare lichens grow on the outcrops of granite rock and it is seen as a significant stronghold for the Dartford warbler. The area also supports a rich diversity of insects such as Perkin’s mining bee, the rove beetle and grayling butterfly.
The site has a greater concentration of archaeological and heritage sites than any other comparable area in western Europe, according to Natural England. There are standing stones and circles, while ruins of industrial structures are reminders of Cornwall’s tin, gold and copper history.
Slater said designating the moors as an SSSI would help tackle the climate emergency and ensure that it remained a cherished landscape for Cornwall. He acknowledged that many people were concerned and the number of objections – 176 – had been “unusually large”, but argued that if the designation came into force, it would help farmers secure funding for agri-environment schemes.
Locally, the open moorland is known as “rough land”, but the SSSI will also include 181 hectares of “clean land” – areas that are enclosed and farmed. One of the chief objections is that so much clean land will be within the SSSI.
Sam Nankervis, who manages a herd of suckler cows at Zennor, told the meeting he feared the designation could lead to his water supply being cut off. “Without cattle grazing, the land would soon be dominated by bracken, gorse and brambles, quickly losing much of its biodiversity,” he said.
Milia Purppura, who owns land at St Just, said the evidence was too old. “Real science advances in leaps and bounds in a decade,” she said.
Jenny Olds, an agent for one of the large landowners, Bolitho Estates, said: “Abandonment of farming is a very real risk. Our tenants have not been given a single detail of stocking rates. How can a farmer possibly budget if [they have] not been told how many head of livestock he can keep? I will struggle to attract future tenants. Who is going to manage this land in the way you desire and the land needs? You will see a gradual reduction in farming in this area, and that will be disastrous.”
Olds claimed that there had been insufficient consultation and that Natural England had picked venues that were too small for open meetings and failed to advertise them properly.
Other complaints ranged from Natural England’s intention to call the new SSSI “West Penwith Moors” – rather than using a Cornish name – to its alleged misunderstanding of the impact that old mines have on the hydrology of the area. Some said they would be happy to back a voluntary scheme to protect the moors but objected to a public body imposing stringent restrictions.
Among those backing the idea of the SSSI was Katharine Heron, the daughter of the artist Patrick Heron, who said the moors had been damaged over the years. “We think this land needs all the help it can get. Action on climate change is always being postponed.”
Andrew George, the Liberal Democrats’ candidate for the constituency, said: “Natural England has not covered itself in glory during the consultation … Farmers feel under attack.” But he said the SSSI designation was needed to help tackle the “ecological emergency”.
