News for MARCH 2001 .

News for MARCH 2001 ................

"A Village that's dying slowly", Charlie Ripman for The Weekend Telegraph, Saturday, 31st March
The hunting world may not have marched for Liberty and Livelihood, but a small village in Somerset is a prime example of why it must. In Exford, life has stopped. Thankfully, there is no foot and mouth, but, with hunting abandoned, the village, which serves the Devon & Somerset Staghounds and the Exmoor Foxhounds, is empty. Daphne Darlington at the White Horse Hotel says the loss of spring hunting has devastated her business. Instead of the 52 clients she had booked in for the week, she has eight. The bar takings have dwindled to a trickle and all the part-time staff have been laid off. Such work is vital to many families' income. The village is normally full of horses, both those liveried there for the season and those brought down for the week by hunting visitors. Sue Jones works at Jeanette Branton's livery yard next to the White Horse. "We have lots of empty stables and the 15 horses we have here full-time can't be turned out, so we have to keep them ticking over," she said. "All the part-time girls have been laid off and the livery rates have been cut." The village shop, the post office and the newsagent have all seen a drastic drop in income. Normally, they would be doing good business serving the hotel guests and those in self-catering cottages. "Our seven cottages are empty," said Oliver Edwards, who farms 500 acres on the edge of the village "I don't hunt, but we do need the income from the hunting visitors. All our DIY stables are empty and my wife has had to go back to work as a teacher to make ends meet." Kevin Lamacraft, who hires horses to visitors to both the Devon & Somerset Staghounds and the Exmoor Foxhounds is devastated. With 27 horses fit, the spring is his harvest time. He can't turn them out because there is no new grass and it is too cold up on the moor. "Without the hunting, we have no income," said Kevin. "I would like our MP, Jackie Ballard, to come and see what is happening, not only to the village but to the whole of the moor. But she won't because she is anti-hunting. I don't think that is the way to look after constituents." At the Staghound kennels on the edge of the village, there is much despondency. "I will lose my job," said Donald Summersgill, the huntsman. There are four men that work in the kennels and another five that look after the 28 or so hunt horses. The kennels are the largest employer of full-time staff in the village. Already, a livery yard in Tiverton has gone under and the tack shop in Williton is feeling the pinch. Mr Blair should go and look at Exford. It is showing exactly the devastation that will come, should he insist on banning hunting. But don't go now, Mr Blair, because all the spin in the world won't save you from the wrath of the Somerset countryside.

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 27th March 2001
Foot and Mouth - Mr Tom King (Bridgwater):
"I have already commented on the need for members of Parliament to be able to continue to help their constituents during this appalling crisis." More ...........
"If Exmoor becomes an infected area, we will have the power to close the roads." More ..........

Peers reject hunting ban, Monday, 26th March 2001
Peers in the Lords have rejected a ban on hunting. Voting was 317 to 68, a majority of 249, to throw out that option from the Hunting Bill. The peers' favoured option is allowing hunting to continue under self-regulation. Voting was 249 to 108, a majority of 141. Peers rejected the Middle Way option - letting hunting continue under statutory licence - voting was 202 to 122, a majority of 80.
Click on the link to read Baroness Mallalieu's speech in the House of Lords on Monday, 26th March.

Bring in the troops! Calls for action to protect Exmoor from foot and mouth, West Somerset Free Press, Friday, 23rd March
There were calls for the Army to be drafted in to protect Exmoor from the threat of foot and mouth disease when more than 200 people packed into Porlock Village Hall for a crisis meeting on Wednesday. Some felt that national park authority should be given the power to close minor roads, while there was applause for suggestions that soldiers be posted at all main access roads to disinfect vehicles entering the park. Other wanted 100 per cent rate relief for local businesses whose trade had been affected by the outbreak, and all but one person wanted the general election postponed. And there was huge support for action to be taken to ban cheap rozen meat imports from countries where foot and mouth was endemic.
Organised by he Porlock Tourist Association (PTA) the meeting drew together officials from a range of organisations with West Somerset and Exmoor business people, all of whom had been affected by the outbreak. The airm was to highlight the hardship being caused by the apparent 'shutdown' of the countryside and to give residents the change to question 'the people in power' directly. The overriding message from both officials and residents was that the Government had done too little too late.

Hunt keeping an eye on the deer, West Somerset Free Press, Friday, 23rd March
The red deer have not been forgotten despite the cancellation of hunting for the remaining few weeks of the season. The assurance came from Paddy Groves, master of the Quantock Staghounds, who said: "We have set up a network of farmers and landowners on the Quantocks who are keeping an eye on the deer to check for any abnormalities, such as any animals which are lame, which is often one of the first signs of the disease. "They will then report back to me and I can take action from there. We want people to know that we have not forgotten about the countryside just because we are not hunting."
The ban on hunting and other country pursuits has had a knock-on effect on Mr Groves' livelihood as he runs the Blue Ball public house in Triscombe. He said lunchtime trade, usually boosted by walkers and ramblers, had fallen by between 50 and 75 percent. He said other pubs on the edge of Exmoor had been even harder hit as they relied on the business drummed up by springtime trade.

The threat moves closer, West Somerset Free Press, Friday, 23rd March
The very real threat of foot and mouth disease is now just a few miles from Exmoor National Park after the confirmation of a case at Chittlehampton, near South Molton, last Friday. Eight Devon Closewool sheep were slaughtered and an exclusion zone set up around the small-holding owned by kevin Boyles - stretching right up to the boundary of the national park. Another case was confirmed on Wednesday at nearby Chulmleigh. an emergency meeting was held at national park headquarters in Dulverton last week to discuss the implications of the crisis on businesses, farmers and local communities. Both members and officers said they were concerned about the Government'sapparent wish to open the countryside - Exmoor was particularly vulnerable as grazing livestock often comes into contact with wild red deer.
The comments were made after Environmnt Minister Michael Meacher announced that the countryside was still open for business and this week he set out a series of guidelines to ensure visitors did not spread the disease. But park authority members have drawn up their own list of measures they believe the Government should be taking to combat the effects of the crisis. These include closing minor roads, disinfecting all vehicles entering unaffected areas with held from the Army and setting up a fund to help immediate hardship cases. Authority chairman Humphrey Temperley said: "We have put together a list of our views on actions that we consider need to be taken in the short, medium and long term and will be passing this on to Ministers and MPs.

'Jobs at risk on Exmoor' warning, Western Morning News, Thursday, 22nd March
Business leaders on Exmoor yesterday called for areas of the moor to be reopened to safeguard jobs in the tourist industry. Around 200 people attended a crisis meeting at Porlock village hall to discuss how visitors could be encouraged to the area without increasing the risk of spreading foot and mouth disease to Exmoor. Cathy Powell, chairman of Porlock Tourist Association, said a survey of the association's members revealed that overall turnover for march was 60 to 65 percent down on the same period last year and bookings for April were 70 per cent down on last year's. She said the survey showed that Exmoor's tourism industry was in crisis and jobs would be lost unless the situation improved. She said: "What we want to know is, should the message be sent out that Exmoor welcomes responsible visitors or is Exmoor closed for business?"
Kim Youd, who runs Porlock Vale House Riding Centre, said that unless areas of the moor were reopened for pony trekking he would be forced to make staff redundant. he said: "I have 25 horses and employ six people to look after them, but if we are not allowed to take the horses out on the moor I will have to lay people off and sell my horses."
The meeting was attended by Humphrey Tempertley, chairman of the Exmoor National Park Authority, Richard Morris of the National Trust and prospective Conservative candidate Ian Liddel-Grainger.

Pubs feel pinch as trade goes, North Devon Journal, Thursday, 22nd March
Deserted rural pubs and freehouses are ready to call time as foot and mouth closes in on North Devon. Tenant landlord Martin Jones at the Poltimore Inn, North Molton, is within the Exmoor exclusion zone and has seen his customers and takings drastically drop. The Poltimore is on the outskirts of Exmoor where 75% of customers are farmers or from farming services and the other 25% are villagers and tourists. If things continue like this, I may only be able to stay open for another four to six weeks. The pub has five letting rooms for B&B but has yet to receive a booking for the Easter period. Usually the rooms are filled with moor walkers, hunt follower and tourists who require lunches and evening meals. The pool, darts and skittle leagues have been cancelled.

Vaccination 'out of the question', Albert Beer, North Devon Journal, Thursday, 22nd March
Vaccination as a foot and mouth control policy in Great Britain is quite out of the question. When British agriculture is in crisis it is often the recipient of much gratuitous advice from the public and self-styled experts in animal welfare, disease and nutrition and this occasion is no different. Letters to the Press, calls to radio stations and items on television, usually from urban based, unqualified but highly opinionated people, have called for us to adopt a vaccination policy. Such a move would be a step backwards to the level of countries with underdeveloped agricultural industries and would put us in the company of whoever sent us this current infection.
No, we must support our tried and tested policies but we must have the resources to do so. There are at least seven strains of the virus and numerous sub-types so, just as with some human diseases, how do we vaccinate to prevent the whole range? There is no cross immunity and no guarantee that all animals would develop the same response. If left to run its course it would present immense welfare problens and up to half of the younger stock would die and Britain woiuld be left with a blighted livestock industry.
How long before critics of the country community will begin to admit farmers do care about their livestock? This care is far over and above ny economic considerations. No, we must not accept foot and mouth as an endemic disease. We must eradicate for the sake of the animals themselves and, of course, also for economic reasons. How about a little gratitude and support for the industry that provides us with the cheapest food in our history? Perhaps that is the real problem?

'People are baying for blood - we are going bust', Simon de Bruxelles, The Times, Wednesday, 21st March
The picturesque village of Porlock is usually a magnet for tourists, its winding streets thronging with walkers heading off into the hills. But on the first day of spring yesterday, those streets were empty. Porlock, like other rural communities across Britain, has been brought to its knees by foot-and-mouth disease - even though the nearest case is 60 miles away. The village of just 1,300 people sustains 110 businesses, from saddlers to glass blowers, whose income depends on tourism. But this year the visitors have stayed away, and many businesses fear for their survival.

House of Commons Hansard Debate (Foot & Mouth Crisis), 20th March
Question by Jackie Ballard MP Taunton and answer by The Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP, Minister for the Environment in the House of Commons on 20th March concerning Exmoor business suffering from lack of tourism to Exmoor. More ...........

Disease threatens to spread onto Exmoor, Mark Clough, Western Morning News, 19th March
The threat of foot and mouth disease spreading to Exmoor moved closer at the weekend with the confirmation of two new outbreaks much further north in Devon than had previously been affected. The new confirmed outbreaks are in the Chittlehampton area near South Molton, and at Tawstock, near Barnstaple. The outbreak near South Molton - the closest so far to Exmoor - affected a smallholding with only eight sheep. It is understood that Kevin Boyles had the Devon Closewool sheep with a view to showing them this summer. Mr Boyles could not be contacted.
Yesterday, farmers on Exmoor were hoping against hope that the fast-spreading virus would not hit them in the way it has hit their counterparts on Devon's other national park, Dartmoor. Simonsbath farmer, Andrew Hawkins, who is the local NFU chairman, said yesterday: "These last two outbreaks are not very encouraging signs at all. We have been inundated with calls from farmers on Exmoor since these last two outbreaks were confirmed. We know farmers on Exmoor that have got stock in these areas for winter keep and the only thing we can say to them is to please make sure they are sticking to every guideline there is." One of the concerns on Exmoor is the national park's famous herd of wild red deer, which could help spread the virus. "I've got deer on my farm, lots of farmers have deer, and if you get foot and mouth up here it will be very difficult to stop it," Mr Hawkins said.
On Friday, Mr Hawkins attended a meeting at the Exmoor national Park authority offices to discuss the impact of the disease on tourism. "People are desperate, they are losing money, but we had to impress on them that they insist on keeping the countryside restricted because if we did get it up here they will be looking at longer-term suffering than we are having now," said Mr Hawkins who operates bed and breakfast at his farm.
Maurice Vellacott who farms at Tabor Hill on Exmoor, said: "Everybody on Exmoor is very concerned about the foot and mouth getting closer. While they are in the clean area they can move their animals under licence, but once they are in the restricted area they can't and that causes a lot of welfare and financial problems."
Humphrey Temperley, chairman of the Exmoor National Park Authority, said the authority had its own supply of disinfectant mats, which it would be using in areas such as Winsford Hill, where there was open grazing. "Logically, as far as I can see, there would be a lot to be said for establishing a cordon sanitaire north of the A361 North Devon Link Road," he said. "We would like to target the half dozen main access roads onto the moor north of the A361." Mr Temperley said steps needed to be taken to reduce the pressure on businesses in all sectors affected by the foot and mouth crisis.

Farmers fear coal lorries could increase risk outside restricted zone, Western Morning News, 19th March 2001
As foot and mouth tightens its grip on the Westcountry, the way in which coal deliveries for incineration pyres have been arranged by MAFF has been condemned by farmers in the Exmoor area. The farmers are worried that the lorries collecting coal from a coalyard at Molland to take to the pyres in the middle of the infected area near Hatherleigh and Okehampton could increase the chances of the disease spreading to farms which so far are outside the restricted zone. Mervyn Nicholls of Hilltown, Molland, fears hat the constant passage of lorries near his farm could lead to the infection of his award-winning herd of pedigree Ayrshires. Mr Nicholls is so worried that he has considered blocking the road. But he was warned by police that he would be committing an offence if he did that. "The lorries coming down the M5 go straight to hatherleigh market and then the lorries delivering coal to farms can work from there and stay there," he said.

Foot and mouth taking its toll on tourism, West Somerset Free Press, 16th March 2001
West Somerset's tourism industry is coming under growing pressure as the foot and mouth crisis tightens its grip. With the South West on course to lose an estimated £100 million a week, local hoteliers, B&B owners and those who provide holiday lets are feeling the pinch as their books empty of bookings. The current situation is being felt particularly badly at the Carnarvon Arms Hotel in Brushford, which is traditionally used by guests keen on country pursuits such as hunting, shooting and fishing. Owner Glyn Howells has already laid off some of his 16 full-time staff and fears he will have no choice but to cut his staff back even further as the days go by. Mr Howells said: "There's no hunting, there's no point-to-pointing, there's no fishing and we've had people cancelling bookings as far ahead as June.
The story is no better for those who run holiday cottages in the region, with one Wheddon Cross business woman claiming the 2001 season is "doomed". Tammy Cody-Boucher, who runs Little Quarme Cottages, said she had built up a successful business over the last 13 years, with 75 percent of visitors coming back year after year. "The cottages are now empty with early bookings all postponed or cancelled and just like the farmers we have no cash flow and a large overdraft," Mrs Cody-Boucher said. "Understandably, the guests don't want to come, they are told not to go to the countryside. When they are here they want to walk, ride and enjoy the moorland. Well, I won't go down without a fight and for a start I won't, and can't pay my business rates for the duration of the epidemic."

Exmoor's Golden Horseshoe Ride cancelled, West Somerset Free Press, 16th March 2001
The biggest annual riding event on Exmoor - the Golden Horseshoe Ride - has been cancelled for the first time in 38 years. The prestigious two-day test organised by the British Endurance Riding Association was to be held on May 14th and 15th. But with riders and horses unable to train and qualifying rides for the event unable to take place, organisers have had to call it off. Its cancellation will be a further blow to the local economy - centered around Exford, the ride attracts hundreds of competitors and followers. "It's especially disappointing because we had the new 100-mile race this year with teams coming from Bahrain and all over Europe," said Martin Rickard of Bampton, who with his wife Estelle helps organise the ride. "It's one of the UK's major rides - and it's quite a major blow for Exford as well with 400 to 500 people coming in for a long weekend. My wife and I have three horses, and normally at this time we spend four to five hours a day riding them on Exmoor. Now they are doing nothing. Foot and mouth means they are totally restricted. We can't even ride them round a field. One point of endurance is building up stamina and there's a limit to how much road work you want to do.

"The moor has been absolutely deserted", North Devon Journal Herald, 15th March 2001
Farming and tourism are the lifeblood of Exmoor, but both have been drained by the foot and mouth crisis. National Park officials have been torn between protecting their 500-plus farm businesses from the dreaded disease and saving picturesque villages from the terrible blow which has been dealt to tourism. Lynton, Lynmouth and Combe Martin are some of the Exmoor communities which have been shunned by outdoors explorers as the rights of way restrictions continue and farmers ask people to only make vital trips to the countryside. The Park is desperate not to follow in the steps of Dartmoor which is facing a disaster after foot and mouth struck last week. Head Ranger Bill Gurnett said, "There has been an impact across the whole of the moor. We have extra patrols out on the weekend to ensure the closures are enforced, but it has actually been like Christmas Day - it's been absolutely deserted". Mr Gurnett said the red deer population on the moor was less susceptible to the disease, and with no hunting and few visitors, there was every chance the deer would escape the disease.
Exmoor wardens have been busy maintaining closure notices on footpaths and car parks, and disinfecting all vehicles which travel close to farms. Two emergency meetings have been held with the local beef and sheep farmers to agree on joint action to prevent foot and mouth invading Exmoor. Farmers have been asked to move stock off open land and, wherever possible, to try to prevent domestic and wild animals coming into contact with each other. In the meantime, the Exmoor events programme is on hold and the printing of the monthly guided walks and events leaflets has been delayed.

Extract from Baroness Mallalieu's speech in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 13th March on the foot and Mouth Disease Debate
"As other noble Lords have said, it is not only the agricultural part of the economy which is in free-fall - I use that phrase again. Others have spoken about their particular parts of the world; perhaps I may speak about my village in Somerset, Exford. It has a population of 400 people, virtually all of whom work in or near the village. It has three shops, two hotels, a petrol station, a hunt kennels, which is the largest employer in the village, a farrier and a repair workshop.
The village relies entirely on farming and tourism. During the winter months, from October through to April, it is country sports tourism - people who come for the shooting or for the hunting. At this time of the year, when hunting stops elsewhere, farmers in particular from all over England go there to stay when they finish their lambing and their calving to follow the hunt, which goes on until the end of April.
I have received information from a local group which formed two years ago when people could see the crisis coming. The group called itself "Endangered Exmoor". People could scarcely have known then what they would be facing two years on. The post office is down 50 per cent on its business. The White Horse Hotel is empty; there have been 40 cancellations and staff are to be laid off. On the day after hunting was suspended - the hunting organisations did so voluntarily across the whole country well before the animal movements restriction was in place - the garage began to see a huge drop in the number of people wanting petrol and diesel. I stress that large numbers of people follow the hunt in cards. One of the local hotels relies on five tourist coaches calling in every week for teas and coffees. All the visits have been cancelled. The local livery yard is having to reduce its rates and lay off staff. One of the other guest houses is struggling on the verge of bankruptcy. The farrier's business has dropped dramatically; so has business at the local stores and at the newsagents, and all the pubs in the area are very quiet. One of the local businesses hires out horses. Its turnover - spring is its harvest time - is £40,000 a year. Last week it took cancellations from 20 Americans who had been coming for two weeks and would have hired horses almost every day. That business will have no income whatever and it has 20 horses to feed. Those are just some examples."

Click here to read Lady Mallalieu's full speech on the Foot and Mouth crisis.

House of Lords Debates - Hunting Bill (2nd Reading)

Click here for Speeches made in the House of Lords on Monday, 12th March 2001

Foot and Mouth Disease Links:

Recommendations for responsible use of horses in a Foot & Mouth Disease Outbreak

National Farmers Union West Group - Farmers Up-date on Stock Movement

Message to Farmers from Exmoor National Park Authority

For latest information on Foot-and Mouth Disease go to the web site of MAFF
www.maff.gov.uk

Foot and Mouth Precautions and Advice

Click here for Foot and Mouth Advice on Precautions to be exercised by people working in the countryside

Click here for further information from the British Deer Society

MP Jackie Criticised, West Somerset Free Press, 2nd March 2001
Taunton MP Jackie Ballard has been criticised over her decision to take part in a vote on the Hunting Bill this week. West Somerset NFU branch chairman, Andrew Hawkins, said he was "very dismayed" by the Liberal Democrat MP's actions. "Does she not realise that unless this disease is contained there will be no deer left to hunt anyway? Rather than wasting time voting, she should have been pressing the Government for a debate on the foot and mouth crisis," he said.
Ms Ballard's constituency includes large swathes of Exmoor, including Dulverton.

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