AN AGREEMENT has been reached on the long-awaited restoration of Ash Moor pit, near Petrockstowe — but campaigners say they won't be satisfied until the site is out of DEFRA's hands.

The giant animal carcass burial pit at Ash Moor was constructed by the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at the height of the foot and mouth crisis two-and-a-half years ago, but was never used.

The breakthrough marks the end of a sustained campaign of lobbying and negotiation with DEFRA by Devon County Council's development committee and its officers.

DEFRA began advance work on the restoration of Ash Moor last month.

Joe Skinner of pressure group STAMP — Stop The Ash Moor Pit — welcomed the news but said he still had concerns about DEFRA's continuing ownership of the land.

'It is a step forward. We are pleased, but we feel they could have gone a great deal further. We would like to have seen a transfer of ownership from DEFRA to a suitable conservation body.'

Mr Skinner said while the pit stayed in the Government's hands, campaigners remained at a halfway stage: 'If there is any sort of emergency, and I don't mean necessarily foot and mouth, what would happen? Why are they keeping it, why don't they transfer it now?'

A DEFRA spokesperson said: 'We have publicly stated on several occasions that DEFRA will never use the site for mass burial and that it does not, even during the five years we will retain it prior to selling it, form part of DEFRA's contingency plans for exotic diseases such as FMD.'

John Burnett, Torridge and West Devon MP, said he had been in discussion with Exeter MP and Nature Conservation and Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw about the future use of the site.

Mr Burnett said he wanted to see the site turned into an 'environmental area owned and run by the Devon Wildlife Trust' and he said although Mr Bradshaw had made no commitment he was 'in principle, sympathetic to the idea'.

'It should never have been chosen as a site in the first place. It was a grievously flawed decision,' Mr Burnett said.

The agreement meets those concerns voiced by leading environmental groups and Mr Burnett said he hoped these groups would be able to monitor the restoration of the site. 'We don't want any shortcuts being taken, restoration has to be done with maximum bio-diversity,' he added.

The conditions of the agreement confirmed last week include:

l The removal of any roads or structures constructed in connection with the pit and the reinstatement of the site

l That the method of restoration and aftercare should achieve a nature conservation objective of recreating species-rich grassland, hedgerows and woodland consistent with the original character of the site

l Full details of the aftercare and management scheme of the restored site as species-rich grassland, hedgerows and woodland, to include the reintroduction at the appropriate time of a grazing regime, will be submitted to and agreed with the county council.

Under the agreement DEFRA will retain ownership of Ash Moor for five years and encourage any future owner to manage the site in an appropriate way for culm grasslands.

n Villagers in Petrockstowe will be given the chance to be updated on the future of the Ash Moor burial pit at a public meeting next week.

The meeting called by Petrockstowe Parish Council will be addressed by representatives from DEFRA and Devon County Council. The meeting takes place next Friday, October 31, in the Baxter Hall, Petrockstowe, at 7pm.