AN EMBARRASSING loophole has been exposed in a £17m scheme meant to safeguard a Yorkshire moor from peat extraction and preserve it as a nature reserve.

It has been revealed that further peat could be removed in future because an area of land within the reserve is not covered by the agreement.

Environment Minister Elliot Morley visited South Yorkshire yesterday to formally open the Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve, which now includes Thorne, Hatfield, Goole and Crowle Moors.

English Nature spent £17.3m of taxpayers' money to buy out peat extraction rights from Scotts Company, which had access to that land and the area was restored before being opened up as a nature reserve.

However, that agreement did not cover a small area of land which had been used as a storage area, which Scotts now want to exploit.

At the opening, Mr Morley said: "The protection of the largest complex of lowland raised bog in Britain is a real testament to the partners who have worked so hard over the last few years to secure this site."

But almost immediately, the environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth revealed that Scotts still had access to some land which could be used for further peat extraction.
If that happened it would be a severe blow for the area, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation.

The area has long been a battleground between businesses seeking to exploit the peat for commercial gain and those wanting to preserve it.

More than 10 years ago the Vanishing Wilderness campaign spearheaded by the Yorkshire Post led to areas of Thorne and Hatfield Moors being handed over to English Nature from then owners Fisons PLC.

But a threat has continued to hang over the area in the intervening years with repeated suggestions that its SSSI protection could be removed.

Mr Morley accused Scotts of going against the spirit of the agreement reached in 2002. The company stopped taking peat from the area only last year.

Friends of the Earth spokesman Craig Bennett said Scotts retained ownership and peat extraction rights for around 30 hectares of the site and had signalled an intention to commence peat cutting again.

"Three years ago the Government and Scotts proudly told us that they had reached a £17m agreement to end peat cutting on Hatfield Moor by the end of 2004.

"Now we discover that there is a big hole in that deal. This isn't the environmental victory we celebrated three years ago.

"It's outrageous that this American corporation which has already taken £17.3m from the UK taxpayer, is set to continue digging up one of Britain's most precious wildlife sites.

"It is time this company walked away from Hatfield Moor once and for all. And it is time that the UK Government stood up to businesses that benefit from destroying the environment."

English Nature insist the land involved is only a tiny area compared to the 3,500 hectares safeguarded by the buyout deal and a spokesman said the company would need to gain permission before they were able to start any peat extraction.
A spokesman insisted it had been a "fantastic achievement" to buy out extraction rights to most of the site.

"A residual area of land used for stockpiling was not included in the agreement but this is still protected by law and Scotts still has to go through the proper procedures and permissions for its use. English Nature is working with Doncaster Metropolitan District Council Planning Authority and Scotts to resolve this issue".

Mr Morley said: "Scotts's proposals go against the spirit of the agreement reached. It's also an area under international designation. Scotts should not assume that they can extract peat from the small area in their ownership without statutory challenge."

No comment was available from Scotts.