Answers wanted over commercial game shooting on Saddleworth moorland

A SADDLEWORTH Parish Councillor has criticised United Utilities for allowing commercial game shooting to take place on open moorland near Dove Stone Reservoir.

The sound of gunshots echoing through the air around the Greenfield landmark is not unusual.

But at the last meeting of the authority, in Denshaw, Cllr Kathryn Phillips told of her worries over the firm responsible for managing the actual reservoir and the water in it allowing that to happen.

That is despite United Utilities announcing its intention to no longer renew shooting leases when they come to their natural end, as part of its wider land management approach.

The fact people cannot use their right to roam while shoots are taking place also led to Cllr Phillips asking the council to take a dim view.

She also called on United Utilities to consult with the authority if it intends to continue to allow commercial shooting to take place on its land, as the interests of the wider public could be represented and considered in future.

That view was backed as her motion was unanimously approved.

Cllr Phillips asked Saddleworth Parish Council to: “Express its deep concern to United Utilities that they have repeatedly failed to enact their own stated policy regarding game shooting, by continuing to allow commercial shoots to take place on UU land above Yeoman Hey and alongside Greenfield Reservoir and Greenfield Brook.

“Thus removing the public’s legal right to roam on open access land by temporarily physically obstructing access to land in the Peak District National Park, including in the RSPB’s lease area.”

As well as that, the parish council will also look to speak to the Peak District National Park authority to make sure any restriction of access to open access land while shooting is taking place is done so following the legally prescribed process, with due notification of the public and for the maximum number of days set out in the Country side Rights of Way act, 28 a year.

It was not all criticism as Cllr Phillips convinced Saddleworth Parish Council to place on record its praise for United Utilities and the RSPB through their partnership working with Moors for the Future by planting over one million plugs of Sphagnum Moss, creating a network of ‘leaky dams’ and planting shelter belts of natural deciduous woodland.

United Utilities announced a pause of its policy and an independent review, led by Charles Cowap, to look at the environmental, social and economic impacts of any decision.

Each specific land holding has been examined on a lease-by-lease basis and while it was being done, current arrangements remained in place, unless the leaseholder did not want to renew it.

A United Utilities spokesperson pointed to ownership of the land being private, saying: ”