This TFA Blog features the answers to questions asked at the TFA Webinar: The Dartmoor Review – Conclusions and Impact for Other Protected Sites, which was held on 13 March 2024.
The report of the Independent Review Group into the management of protected sites on Dartmoor issued towards the end of last year sets out a clear agenda for change. During this webinar, our key speaker, David Fursdon, Chair of the review group, set out the main conclusions of his working group’s report and where he sees things developing in the weeks and months ahead. Although focusing primarily on Dartmoor, there are implications for the way in which protected sites are managed across the country and how the role of Natural England needs to change including its relationship to DEFRA and other parts of local and national governance. This webinar provided an opportunity to hear first-hand from the Chair of the Dartmoor review group and to be part of the debate for what needs to change to ensure the future successful management of some of our most precious farmed landscapes.
A recording of this popular event can be viewed by clicking here. The following answers have been provided by David Fursdon and George Dunn, TFA Chief Executive. If any TFA members have further questions after reading this Q&A, they should contact a TFA Adviser by calling our head office on 0118 930 610.
Q1. Does David believe that Natural England should have its wings clipped by DEFRA? Rather than DEFRA having to operate an appeals system around Natural England decisions on SSSI consent issues (which appears to be dysfunctional), should DEFRA be responsible for deciding consent applications at first instance having obtained advice from Natural England?
TFA answered:
The TFA view is that DEFRA Ministers need to…To continue reading this Q&A session, you need to be a member of the TFA. If you are already a TFA member, please click here.
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