Tomorrow, Saturday, there is a fell run over parts of Walshaw Moor organised by the Calder Valley Fell Runners and called the Wadsworth Trog. We’ve missed the chance of entering (damn!) this race of 19 miles and a height range of over 3600′.
Few of the entrants will probably realise that Walshaw Moor is one of the most controversial pieces of moorland in the country – the scene of legal action by Natural England in the distant past, the RSPB and myself.
Whereas in 2012 Natural England took legal action against the land owner, Richard Bannister, over his alleged unauthorised building of tracks and structures on this designated moorland, this week we heard that my legal challenge of Natural England’s agreement of a plan which included more track building, has forced Natural England to oppose the development and write to Calderdale and Pendle Councils accordingly.
Natural England which once stood up for wildlife against damaging development has now had to be forced by legal action by a private individual (that’s me!) to do their job properly – the job we taxpayers are paying them to do.
The runners won’t see much wildlife at this time of year and they’ll have their heads down anyway. Good luck to them all! But they are running over a battleground – a battle ground to ensure that wildlife laws are enforced and respected.
I’m sure they’d let you do a late celebrity entry if you asked