“Top Councillor in Saboteurs’ Sights” – Bradford T&A

By Jo Winrow

A war of words has broken out between anti-hunt campaigners and a senior councillor over grouse shooting on Ilkley Moor.

The row follows the award of a ten-year Council contract in June to the Bingley Moor Partnership after an absence of shooting at the beauty spot of more than a decade.

Since the decision and the signing of the lease West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs have been vocal in opposition of the move. A petition has also been lodged with the Council from West Yorkshire Animals in Need, an Ilkley-based animal welfare group.

As well as the right to shoot grouse in season, the contract means the partnership will work with the Council to improve breeding grounds and encourage the spread of heather on the fire-damaged moor. This was the Council’s key objective in awarding the contract.

Just over a month ago the hunt saboteurs took their protest to the centre of Bradford outside key Council offices, including Jacob’s Well and City Hall.

Now spokesman Luke Steele has spoken out against Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the Council’s executive member for environment and culture.

He claims Coun Hawkesworth says their campaign is “misleading and misguided”.

But, he added: “We work closely with groups who have environmental scientists who specialise and consult on the issue, as well as having undercover investigations into the shooting industry to back all our claims – whether they be based on damage to the area or animal cruelty.

“Before the shooting licence was issued to the Bingley Moor Partnership, Anne Hawkesworth claimed there were too many grouse on Ilkley Moor and they needed culling, but now claims that there are too little and the moor needs managing.”

Coun Hawkesworth reiterated her earlier comments on the issue, saying that the partnership won the tender because of the management of the moors it was able to offer and the lease is a legally-binding agreement.

She said: “The land management that goes with grouse-shooting, such as heather burning and bracken control, drainage management and sheep farming, is one of the practices which ensures the moorland is maintained to the best possible standard.”

A Green party motion to tomorrow’s meeting of the full council calls for an immediate review of the resumption of grouse shooting on Ilkley Moor.

A petition to the Council has been passed on to the executive which is due to consider the matter at its meeting in December at the earliest.

See the article Here

Demo At Ilkley Council Surgery Against Grouse Shoot

Councillor Anne Hawksworth has been backing the return of grouse shooting to Ilkley Moor and is Head of the Environmental Portfolio, who deal with the decision whether or not the shoots go ahead.

This morning, Hawksworth was holding her council surgery where members of the public go along to express concern over local issues, so campaigners were there to expose her backing of bloodsports.

Hoots of support came from passers by as campaigners chanted and held a massive banner reading “No Bloodsports on Ilkley Moor” and the public were very receptive of the demo. However, the police refused to let any campaigners in to speak to the councillor (at a public meeting!) and illegally demanded names and addresses from anybody protesting if they were to be let into a public building.

Hawksworth showed her usual cowardly ways; arriving early before the demo started and snook out through the back door to avoid any questions from campaigners about her lies and slander.

Lies, Slander and Disillusion – Anne Hawksworth Defends Shoot

Councillor defends grouse shoot policy

From the Bradford T&A

A senior councillor has criticised anti-hunt campaigners who demonstrated outside Bradford’s City Hall against the award of a council contract for grouse shooting on Ilkley Moor.

The protesters have petitioned Bradford Council to reverse the gran-ing of the ten-year licence.

But the Council’s executive member for environment and culture, Coun Anne Hawkesworth, said: “The recent actions of some demonstrators from the West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs have been misleading and misguided.

Our repsonse: Anne Hawksworth has always, up until now, remained adament that she has had no involvement in the grouse shooting proposals – maybe she’s had to succumber to us dragging her name through the mud and exposing the lies her council are putting out to get this shoot to go ahead

“Allegations have been made by them that are totally untrue. We have a ludicrous situation whereby we have a grouse moor with no grouse because it isn’t being managed for that purpose.

Our repsonse: Before the shooting contract was awarded, Hawksworth claimed it was needed as there were too many grouse on the moor, now she’s changed it to there are too little. Before speaking out in public, she ought to get her facts right! The allegations of West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs, and the groups we have worked with, are all backed up by environmental scientists and undercover invesigations into the shooting industry. Legally, we have to get everything we publish spot-on so we are not taken to court for slander and the simple fact that we don’t have to make things up to get people on our side (unlike certain people…)

“The facts are clear. The Bingley Moor Partnership has been licensed to drive grouse on Ilkley Moor since 2004.

“The Council’s procurement service put the shooting agreement for Ilkley Moor out to tender earlier this year.

“The Bingley Moor Partnership won the tender in open competition because of the management of the moors it was able to offer. The lease is signed, sealed and delivered. This is a legally-binding agreement.

Our repsonse: Any company, or organisation, (especially a council) can go back on a contract if there is something that is of significance and has not come to light until after it has been signed. There are counctless issues, both ethical and legal based, that are now in the public domain for example the “extremely close working relationship” Edward Bromet of the Bingley Moor Partnership had built up with the council inorder to try and gain the contract, and the simple fact that it was a ‘done deal’ before the adverts for tenders were even put out!

“This new ten-year lease is enabling increased investment into the moor, therefore boosting the local rural economy.

Our repsonse: The tourism trade in Ilkley and Wharfedale, EU & Special Scientific Interest (SSI) grants, to name a few ways, have a massive input into the area and the money made through grouse shooting wouldn’t go to the people living in Ilkley, but the Bingley Moor Partnership (the manager of which doesn’t even live in the same county!) and £8,000 a year to Bradford Council – this could easily be made up through the means mentioned above.

“The land management that goes with grouse-shooting, such as heather burning and bracken control, drainage management and sheep farming, is one of the practices which ensures the moorland is maintained to the best possible standard.”

Our repsonse: Sheep farming has always occurred on Ilkley Moor as it had been in the land rights for over a decade, bracken control can be done on any more (whether grouse or otherwise) and heather burning is only conducted to make an artificially high grouse population for shooting – the effects of which damage both the land and the environment on a large scale. Drainage has also been done in the area for a substantial amount of time. Why doesn’t Hawksworth invest their most recent grant into the moor, instead of resurfacing a road which will only benefit those conducting grouse shooting on the land!