UKH

A controversial court case win for a Dartmoor landowner who argued that wild camping on Dartmoor was never a legal right has been overturned. Today, the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) was successful in its appeal against the January high court ruling.

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Hoorah! That's worth the 3 threads we now have about it 😀

"We are disappointed by this judgment. This case highlights the many and increasing challenges we face in trying to protect the fragile environment on Dartmoor. Our mission was to conserve this special place. It is regrettable that our role as custodians is greatly diminished"

Ha - ha -ha. Their mission was to conserve and enhance their bottom line and to enclose the commons. I bet some expensive crockery was hurled at a wall last night. Custodians my arse.

They sound like colonial rulers trying to prop up the Empire in British East Africa.

I presume by protect the fragile environment they mean shooting game birds, aggressively repelling raptors and ensuring almost none existent biodiversity across the land they own?

You forgot to include 'repressing the peasants'

Is there any scope for him to appeal it to a higher Court, or is that it now?  Hope that's it.

He can seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, and no doubt will. The article doesn’t say if the Court of Appeal granted it to him, but it wouldn’t be terribly surprising if it were granted.

I used to instruct Geoffrey Vos occasionally when he was at the Bar - pleased to see he recognises outdoor recreation when he sees it.

jcm

If anyone wants to stay up to date with right to roam issues and actions in England especially, check out the Right to Roam group run by authors/activists Nick Hayes, Guy Shrubsole and others. They are doing a fab job of getting the conversation going around access to land https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/

I spoke to Kate Ashbrook from the OSS who were heavily involved in proceedings. This was before the verdict but she had a good feeling given the line of argument and how it had gone, and her feeling was that if it was unanimous (as it was) then the prospect of an appeal would be quite unlikely.