THE continuing presence of the military on Dartmoor for training was given enthusiastic backing by councillors last week.
During the summer there had been calls for the Army to end live firing and other training exercises on Dartmoor. However, a new report by West Devon Borough Council rejected these calls and re-affirmed support for a military presence on the moor.
The council report concluded there was a regional economic benefit from the Army presence in Dartmoor and West Devon.
The report was discussed by councillors at a strategic development committee meeting, last week. They amended the recommendation of the report to replace the word 'support' with 'strong support' in the sentence: The Council reaffirms its support for a military presence on Dartmoor.
Lt Col Tony Clark welcomed the backing: 'The present international situation shows the importance of the armed forces, and we welcome West Devon Borough Council's strong support for the important training that takes place on Dartmoor.'
Lt Col Clark said the moor was particularly important to divisions like the third commando brigade 'who are based in the south west and whose qualities are forged on the demanding terrain and challenging climate of Dartmoor'.
Okehampton West Devon councillor Jayne Hill said: 'The Army plays an integral part in West Devon life.'
She said the army training camp at Okehampton was very involved in community work and brought a lot to the area.
Other councillors said the knock-on economic impact if the military were to leave the region would be disastrous, and questioned what would happen to the popular Ten Tors event which the Army helps run.
The report praised the increasing importance the Army now placed on conservation and land management. 'In the past, the military's management of their estate and their recognition of issues such as conservation has been questionable, but there is little doubt that these wider issues and responsibilities are now fully accepted and being implemented,' the report stated.
During the summer, the military's presence on Dartmoor came under attack from a number of groups, most recently the Open Spaces Society, which said Army training had a detrimental impact on the moor.
The group called for the Army to reduce training on the moor, arguing it was destroying the wilderness, causing excessive noise, and posing a risk to the public from unexploded missiles. Dartmoor's prehistoric archaeology was also said to be under threat from battering by live fire.
Military training has been undertaken on Dartmoor for more than a century.