Dartmoor landowners will be paid for allowing wild camping on their land under a new agreement with the national park.
Last week, the right to wild camp in the park without permission from the landowner was lost after a wealthy landowner took the park administration to court. Dartmoor was the last place in England or Wales to be entitled to a wild camp.
Alexander Darvall, a hedge fund manager and the sixth largest landowner on Dartmoor, brought the case against the national park, arguing that the right never existed. Darvall, the owner of the 1,619-hectare (4,000-acre) Blatchford Estate on south Dartmoor, offers pheasant farming, deer hunting and holiday lettings on his land.
It is now understood that the national park has reached an agreement with him and other landowners who will be paid to offer some of their properties for wild camping. There should be a map on the national park website showing visitors where they are allowed to camp.
Kevin Bishop, chief executive of the Dartmoor National Park Authority, confirmed to the Guardian: “There will be a transfer of money between the authority and the landowners, it could be as little as one pound but it could be a lot more, we don’t know yet. Individual Wilderness Campers will not have to pay, you will not need to take your Wilderness Camping credit card, but you will know from the card that will be on our website that you can camp there and the landowner has provided permission. “
Campaigners said this arrangement was not good enough as it meant only a small part of Dartmoor would be available for wild camping, when until recently they had access to the whole park.
Wild camping campaigner Annie Dare said: “This taking away of our rights to nature has spurred thousands of people up and down the country to come together to fight to overturn this decision: to protect, widen and deepen public access to public land.
“We will not rest on the deal announced today, which will see any landowner withdraw a wild camping permit at will; by which we mean wild camping will no longer be free; and where the public will have access to a much smaller part of our beloved Dartmoor.
“We won’t stop until wild camping is free and legislated.”
Guy Shrubsole, of the Right to Roam campaign, called the deal a “rigging”, adding: “This is a ransom note from landowners, who will be allowed to revoke permission at any time. The society’s right to wild camp has just been taken away from it by a rich landowner, now we are expected to be grateful to the landowners who give us permission to wild camp and pay for the privilege.’
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Campaigners are planning a protest on Dartmoor on Saturday to push for the right to camp on the moor to be restored.
It is not clear whether the national park still intends to appeal the court decision, but it has two more weeks to submit its intention to do so.
A spokesman for Darwall declined to comment but confirmed that part of his land was included in the wild camping scheme.
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