A WARNING shot across the bows of the Government's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was fired by Devon County Council last week when it issued a four-month deadline to close the controversial Ash Moor burial pit.

The council's development control committee backed a report calling on DEFRA to restore the huge, unused pit to farmland in full and without delay.

It also called on DEFRA to carry out a full public consultation and complete an environmental statement and transport assessment if it wants to keep Ash Moor for longer term use.

The giant pit was constructed by the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in April. It was intended to be used as a burial site for up to 400,000 animals killed at the height of the foot and mouth crisis.

The county environment director's report states that after a belated consultation with the council, DEFRA agreed to several conditions, including limiting its use to the present foot and mouth outbreak.

Devon's foot and mouth 'at risk' status was lifted last week and the council has been told Ash Moor will not be needed for carcass disposal from the current outbreak. Any unforeseen needs will be met by rendering or use of licensed landfill sites.

David Andrew, the county's assistant environment director, said: 'Quite frankly, given the speed with which DEFRA were able to implement this scheme in the first place, I feel submitting a restoration plan by December 31 and the completion of the work by March 31 is not unreasonable.

'If DEFRA think it is, then it is up to them to say why.'

The county council's deadline was welcomed by West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett, who slammed the decision to built the pit as 'rash, foolish and perilous'.

'I have always said this site should never have been chosen and must never be brought into use,' said Mr Burnett. 'It represents a severe danger to the public.'

Mr Burnett said MAFF failed to carry out an environmental assessment before embarking on the pit construction.

'The water table is 1.3 metres below ground level — they dug the barrows 20-30 metres below ground. One severe rain storm would have lifted pernicious, poisonous effluent into the ground water and could have poisoned supplies for literally thousands of people,' said Mr Burnett.

Joe Skinner, who lives a mile from the pit and has campaigned vigorously against it, said he hoped the council's action was 'a step in the right direction'.

'It's very good news as far as we are concerned. I think the council has looked at the evidence we have submitted, they have seen now what a mess DEFRA has made.

'They (DEFRA) acted illegally in so many ways, in not getting an environmental impact assessment before they started work. We also have a case which has been accepted by the European courts with regard to ground water.'

Elliot Morley, the animal health minister, has admitted Ash Moor cost £5.6-million to build.

It costs £20,000 a week to keep open — if all 16 cells in the pit were used it would cost a further £1.5-million, plus around £400,000 a year in running costs.

A statement issued by DEFRA last week, before the county issued its deadline, stated 'it would not be responsible' for the Government to 'entirely close off the possibility of a disposal outlet that might theoretically be needed at some point'.

The statement continued: 'However, there are no plans to use the site and thought is being given to what the best environmental option is for the site in terms of its future.'