DESPERATE calls by businesses at the heart of the foot and mouth crisis in Devon for a relaxation of movement restrictions to keep the rural economy alive were made directly to a member of the Government's new rural task force in Okehampton last Thursday.
At an emergency meeting called by Okehampton and District Chamber of Trade business people spoke of their enormous sympathy for the farming community but said a blanket ban on movement in the countryside was 'stifling the area'.
The pleas were made to Devon and Cornwall Business Forum chairman Tim Jones from Belstone who is one of the members of the rural task force which aims to put in place a series of measures to help crisis-hit businesses.
Managing partner of Bob Gee estate agents John Stephens said there had been a lot of knee-jerk reactions and the lack of information from MAFF was at the root of the problem.
'Some things going on in the area are totally unrelated to the crisis but they are simply not happening because people say — 'it's foot and mouth, you cannot move,' he said.
'Measures are being taken such as putting down mats with disinfectant to show solidarity with the farming community but they are not necessarily practical.'
Mr Stephens said people needed to know what was irresponsible and dangerous to do.
'This blanket ban on the countryside is stifling the area and killing it — the information on what we can and cannot do should come from MAFF but my contact with them has been useless. The NFU on the other hand have been first class.'
Okehampton Youth Hostel manager John Elson, who has lost more than £15,000 worth of business in one month, said there was 'no rhyme of reason' why a piece of woodland owned by the Department of Transport and used for environmental studies should be closed.
'The ring-fenced piece of land is nowhere near any farms and any access to them yet it was shut down and that was that,' he said. 'I could open the hostel again if that land was opened up.'
Cllr Coleen Herriman said the key defence was at the farm gate and local people should be able to move about freely as long as they did not go to any infected area.
'It's a common sense approach — it is up to people like us to be responsible,' she said.
It was almost politically incorrect at the moment to say your business was doing well, said Richard Appleby, of Millennium Music.
'Everybody is terrified to do anything because of those in serious problems,' he said. 'A lot of businesses in Devon have shut down in sympathy — we have got to be marketing the area to show we are still open for business. Foot and mouth should be controlled at the farm gates.'
Audrey Gibbons, who was looking forward to her first summer season after recently taking over Heathfield House in Okehampton, said there had to be a more positive input on a national level for people to come to the region on holiday.
'Nobody is coming for weekends or short breaks because they think we are closed — you can't even go on the beach — how many cows do you see on the beach?'
The meeting was told by Tim Jones that the question of access was a 'terrific problem' but MAFF vet Jim Scudamore was not prepared to relax the restrictions, certainly not for the next two weeks.
'In the 1967 outbreak of foot and mouth disease the restrictions were lifted too quickly and there was a big explosion of cases again — there is great concern for that not to happen again,' he said.
Mr Jones explained that the negative message of the countryside being closed down extended into areas such as Norfolk where there was no foot and mouth infection whatsoever.
He said the Rural Development Agency together with the English Tourist Board would be funding a campaign to promote local attractions in Devon and Cornwall as soon as possible in order to put across the positive message that the region was open for business.
The issue of compensation for consequential loss was one being strongly debated among the task force, especially about funds that could come out of Europe.
He said when there was an outbreak of Dutch swine disease the losses to businesses outside farming were seven time greater.
Other areas of help being studied closely are: measures to ease short-term cash-flow problems for businesses such as emergency loans, tax and rates relief and working closely with the financial sector on issues such as debt repayment and insurance cover.
The task force member said the Government had been very slow to respond to foot and mouth disease and its effect on local businesses and tourism.
'The problem is we have a bunch of politicians who do not understand the rural economy at all,' he exclaimed.
'Life goes on in the city — there is no problem there. One of the reasons the Government has been so slow in getting the army in is that it would send the wrong message to urban dwellers. To the people who live in cities everything is under control.'