PRESSURE is mounting to get the army off Cramber Tor.

Military 'dry' training — not involving live ammunition — was first allowed in the area, south of Princetown, in 1980, despite considerable opposition.

That consent has been renewed several times since and is up for renewal in July this year.

But those against the military use of Dartmoor have begun a campaign to stop the training, which they see as inappropriate for a National Park.

Their campaign is aimed at South West Water, which, as the landowner, has to grant a licence for the use of its land; Dartmoor National Park Authority, which has to grant permission, and the Ministry of Defence.

Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society said: 'Under the Water Act 1989, South West Water has a duty to "further the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty" of land it owns, as well as having duties relating to protecting archaeological sites and preserving freedom of public access.

'On Cramber Tor — as the company very well knows — the army obstructs all these objectives.'

She said the society had written to the company urging it to say 'no' to the army, which, she added, would encourage the DNPA to object to its consent, which also expires at the end of June.

John Bainbridge, of the Dartmoor Preservation Association, said: 'We agree with the principle that SWW should consider refusing the licence, but under the 1995 Environment Act.

'That says that all companies operating within a National Park, should uphold National Park values. Having the Army there, we think, does not uphold those values — the act also applies to the MoD, of course, and whether they are upholding National Park values is also open to doubt.'

Mr Bainbridge said the arguments would go on until there was a public enquiry and the Army made its case in public, which, he claimed, it had so far fought shy of. He added the DPA would be happy to take them on and believed they could show that usage was now so low that all activity could be transferred to Salisbury Plain.

SWW spokesman Paul Brakewell said the company had not yet made a decision, but was not aware of much public opposition.

He said: 'Our view has very much been, "Who are we to judge the defence needs of the nation?"'

Mr Brakewell defended the company's policy on access and conservation and pointed out that SWW was heavily regulated and always sought to get the balance right between its environmental and commercial responsibilities.

'We take our role very seriously,' he said

Dr Nick Atkinson, chief executive of Dartmoor National Park Authority, said they were yet to receive an application, but had made it clear that a detailed environmental impact assessment would need to be carried out.

The application would then be considered in the usual way and subject to the normal consultation process, he said.

Lt Col Tony Clark, commandant of the Dartmoor Training Area, said the MoD intended to apply to continue military training on the Cramber and Combshead areas of south Dartmoor.

Lt Col Clark said they were currently consulting with DNPA to identify issues they would have to address in an environmental impact assessment they will be preparing to support the application.

He said: 'Cramber and Combshead are used together with Ringmoor for tactical training without live ammunition. The many Royal Navy and Royal Marine units in the South West depend heavily on their nearby facilities.

'It is also used together with the other Dartmoor training areas, when they are not being used for live firing, to provide a comprehensive package to achieve the operational objectives needed for modern warfare.'