'Will we get moors back?'

"WILL we ever get our moors back or will they be fenced for ever more?"

The unanswered question dominated a public debate on heathland grazing which concluded with an overwhelming majority wanting fencing works stopped immediately.

The 80-strong debate included farmers, fencers, commoners, ramblers, walkers and horse-riders, eager to voice their opinion on Natural England's heathland management scheme.

The government agency is subsidising farmers to graze, cut and burn West Penwith's heathland in a stated effort to control gorse and bracken that "strangles ancient stonework and destroys the habitat of birds and butterflies".

But despite Natural England's (NE) arguments, thousands of metres of barbed wire boundaries across the open moorland is, for many, a heartbreaking thought.

"Where's the respect for the inhabitants of West Penwith? Where's the respect for the moors?", cried a voice from the packed Penwith District Council (PDC) meeting room. "What's happened to local democracy?" demanded another.

Wednesday's debate, chaired by Conservative district councillor, Hudson Smith, began with a slideshow of aerial photography.

Graeme Kirkham, an archaeologist from Cornwall County Council's Historic Environment Service, showed a clear landscape at Caer Bran in 1993 compared with the same landscape covered in bracken by 2007.

"More damage has been done to ancient stonework in the last 30 years than in the last 3,000," he said.

Steve Clarke, Natural England's biodiversity manager, described NE's moorland management agenda as the last chance to rescue a "seriously troubled landscape".

Burning heathland, he said, is dangerous for archaeology and has a short-term growth cycle.

Using herbicides and machinery is difficult because there are so many stones in the ground and heathers do not respond well to cutting.

John Wood, a rambler, accused Natural England of land control.

Steve Crummay, the county's environment manager, said the council constantly handled complaints about moorland "neck-high with gorse".

"The point you are not hearing is we hate barbed wire," said another resident.

Steve Clarke said much of the barbed wire is being placed along hedges "too tumbledown to repair".

"We will not stop anyone from getting to the sites, all they will have to do is open a gate," he said.

In separate votes, a majority voted to stop fencing pending further investigations, and to continue with the forum for further debate.

PDC's social economic and environment committee will vote on the proposals at an evening meeting at St John's Hall in Penzance on December 10, though the council has no jurisdiction over Natural England's scheme and can only hold opinion.

Michael Williams, Nine Maidens commoner, said the answer to unsightly barbed wire fencing was to use Guernsey cows.

“Grazing in the old days was mainly done by Guernsey Cows because they do not need wire to keep them in.

“They won’t step over a stone,” he said.

Mr Williams sparked outcry, however, when he told the forum that the commoners had been told by Vaughan Robbins, a Natural England officer, that Guernsey's were not what the government agency wanted to be used to graze the moors.

Mr Robbins later told The Cornishman that he could not recall having that conversation with Mr Williams.

“Probably what was said was that they are less hardy, and although its not proven, because they are a daily breed they are less likely to have the grazing attributes of a more hardy breed,” he said.

After the meeting, Steve Yandall, owner of Rainbows End Nurseries, at Godolphin Hill, who has 50 years experience as a heather grower and estate manager, told The Cornishman: “If the energy in that room could be harnessed we would probably have the best moors in the country.”

“I agree with the idea of continuing with the forum.

“It will give local people ownership of this scheme which is something not a lot of people have in the country.”

Mr Yandall said he was glad to have attended to the meeting.

“Natural England's integrated management scheme combining grazing, cutting and burning, was probably the best approach.

“They did answer me to say that grazing would be checked every 24 hours and nothing would be allowed to happen to let the sites deteriorate in any way.”

However, he criticised the fact that nothing concrete was decided at the end of the meeting.

“I think they should have decided the representatives for the forum and the next meeting date,” he said.