Guest blog – Blogging for victory by Alison Fure

Alison Fure is a field ecologist specialising in studying the effect of light pollution on wildlife: particularly bats and river corridors.  She moderates the Yahoo Group Lights and Wildlife and gave evidence to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (R.I.P). She is the south London contact for the London Bat Group and a local bat…

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To Dave Webster Interim Chief Executive Natural England   Dear Mr Webster I am writing to you, again, concerning the Natural England decision to reach an agreement with the Walshaw Moor Estate over their past, present and future management of moorland and blanket bog. I believe that this enquiry falls under the remit of the…

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To Richard Benyon Parliamentary Under Secretary Defra   Dear Richard I am writing to you concerning the Natural England decision to reach an agreement with the Walshaw Moor Estate over their past, present and future management of moorland and blanket bog. I believe that this enquiry falls under the remit of the Freedom of Information…

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Dear [name of civil servant] I am writing to ask you about your role, if any, in the Natural England decision to reach an agreement with the Walshaw Moor Estate over moorland management. I believe that this enquiry falls under the remit of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004,…

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to: Dave Webster Interim Chief Executive, Natural England Dear Mr Webster I am writing to you concerning the Natural England decision to reach an agreement with the Walshaw Moor Estate over their past, present and future management of moorland and blanket bog. I believe that this enquiry falls under the remit of the Freedom of…

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Steve Downing, Chairman of Calderdale Raptor Study Group said, “At the beginning of August 2010 I visited Walshaw Estate with a friend looking for merlin, short-eared owls and hobby. Whilst we were there we noticed that a stream appeared to have been diverted and converted into a vehicle track, a separate track on another part…

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Walshaw Moor is owned by Richard Bannister who almost always seems to be described as ‘wealthy’ so I guess he must be.  He lives near the estate and is a director of Walshaw Moor Estate alongside being an apparently successful businessman.  As far as I can recall, he and I have never met but he…

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If you aren’t interested in what I am beginning to think of as the ‘Walshaw Moor affair’ then come back to this blog tomorrow – but if you are, then come back to this blog during the day to see a range of blogs on the subject. The story so far: the peculiarly British sport…

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I am very grateful to Natural England (that’s @NaturalEngland for those of you on Twitter, where you can find me as @MarkAvery) for sending me details of the Walshaw Moor management agreement.  They were clearly eager that I read it, so I have, and so can you here.  What do you think of it? I’d…

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Further reading: Media House International acts for Walshaw Moor Estate Gordons solicitors act for Walshaw Moor Estate Company information on Walshaw Moor Estate Ancient history – in the old days, can you remember them?, one of NE’s predecessor organisations, English Nature, was active in protecting blanket bogs from destruction. Andy Clements, EN’s Director of Protected…