14 September 2007

GOVERNMENT TOLD TO ‘ADDRESS CONCERN’ ABOUT MILITARY TRAINING IN NATIONAL PARKS

The Council for National Parks (CNP) (1) has welcomed the Defence Committee’s report, published today, into the work of Defence Estates (2), which calls on the Ministry of Defence to set out how it will address concerns about the potential for rationalisation of the defence training estate to lead to intensified use of National Parks for military training.

The rationalisation of the Defence Training Estate (3) is expected to decrease the number of training facilities in the UK but to expand those that remain. While this should offer opportunities to minimise the military presence in National Parks it could mean the opposite, if military training facilities within the Parks were to be targeted for major expansion.

CNP published research earlier this year (4) which assessed the impacts of military training on National Parks, called for an independent inquiry into the use of National Parks for military training and recommended ways in which the impacts on the Parks could be reduced.

The research highlighted the fundamental conflict between some military training activities and National Parks, particularly firing with live ammunition, training with heavy artillery weapons and low flying by fast jets. These can lead to access bans during live firing, visual intrusion from military infrastructure such as look-out huts, warning flags and roads or tracks and noise disturbance which has an impact on people and wildlife.

CNP military campaigner, David Murray said: “Taking forward the Defence Committee’s recommendation should help to clarify the opportunities and the threats that estate rationalisation will have for military training in the National Parks.

“We believe that an independent review of military training in National Parks should be held to examine how much and what type of training is needed and ways to relieve some of the impacts on the Parks from live firing, low flying and military infrastructure. This could fit very well with the strategic aim to decrease the number of military training facilities in the UK.

“Given the importance of National Parks as national breathing spaces where millions of people seek qualities such as tranquillity and wildness, we question whether the public interest is best served by continuing military training at current levels in National Parks, and we look forward to discussing this with the Ministry of Defence and Defence Estates”.

Notes to Editors

1. The Council for National Parks is the national charity that works to protect and enhance the National Parks of England and Wales, and areas that merit National Park status, and promote understanding and quiet enjoyment of them for the benefit of all.
2. Defence Estates (DE) is an organisation of the Ministry of Defence. Formerly known as the Defence Estates Organisation – an amalgamation of the Defence Works Service, the Defence Lands Service and a Central Policy Division of MOD – it was given an enhanced role in providing a strategic overview of the defence estate, rationalisation and disposals, following on from the Strategic Defence Review.
DE was reorganised and 'relaunched' on 1 April 2003 with changed responsibilities regarding a new approach to the management of the defence estate. For more info visit  http://www.defence-estates.mod.uk/index.php
3. The rationalisation of the Defence Training Estate is a strategic target of the Ministry of Defence and will lead to fewer, larger training facilities in the UK. The Defence Estates’ current Strategic Plan In Trust & On Trust can be accessed at  http://www.defence-estates.mod.uk/publications/corporate/The_Defence_Estate_Strategy.pdf
4. Wild but Not Free: Military Training in National Parks and A Continuing Need? Military Training and the Dartmoor National Park. The reports can be accessed at  http://www.cnp.org.uk/docs/Military_general.pdf and  http://www.cnp.org.uk/docs/Military_Dartmoor.pdf