OKEHAMPTON Town Council is writing to Dartmoor National Park Authority in support of keeping the armed forces on the moor after calls by a pressure group to end live firing .

It is estimated that the army brings £5-million into the local economy but the Dartmoor Preservation Association says up to ten times that amount of money could benefit the area from tourism if the army were to go.

The association says the authority should pressure the Armed Forces to agree to a phased withdrawal from the moor — to be completed by 2005.

Its comments are in response to a draft management plan by the Dartmoor National Park Authority in which the pressure group says the quiet enjoyment of Dartmoor's special qualities would be enhanced if the moor was freed from the 'noise, damage and intrusion of military live firing'.

But members of Okehampton Town Council said keeping the army and other armed forces on the moor was 'extremely important' to the town.

Cllr Stan Stormont said the army, which had a base in Okehampton, brought an estimated £5-million a year into the local community, it had given employment to 50 local people and a 13 member conservation group were based at Willsworthy.

'Restricting access to the high moor reduces some of the tourism pressures and there is no firing in April, May, July, August and half of September, anyway, which is most of the summer holidays,' he said.

'Whatever damage is done they repair it — I think we should support the army on the moor because of sustainable employment and conservation.'

Cllr Bill Bourne said nobody in the local area wanted to see the army removed from the moor.

'If these troops had not been down there, the Falklands would not have been taken so easily,' he said. 'If the Armed Forces were to go, I am certain the area would be closed to the public because of the live ordnance on the moor.

'The public have access over these firing ranges at the moment and nobody has been injured.'

Chief executive of the Dartmoor Preservation Association, John Bainbridge, said the vast majority of people in Okehampton were not benefiting from having the army on the moor at all.

'The army brings money into the town on a sporadic basis,' he said. 'It may employ 50 local people, but a lot more people could be employed through tourism if Okehampton was really promoted as a centre for moor walking and this could bring in £50-million.

'Okehampton is a brilliant touring centre and an absolute fortune could be made.'

Mr Bainbridge said, when surveys had been carried out in places like the Lake District to find out if hill walkers would come to Dartmoor, there was a negative response because of the live firing.

'It is difficult for people to arrange a holiday around firing times,' he said. 'Most people do not want to walk during July and August — they want to see it at its best in winter.

'For the council to say it is okay to damage the moor because there are conservation groups around to repair the damage is ridiculous.

'This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and any damage is fairly catastrophic. We should not take the moor for granted.

'It is very sad there should be no regard for the Dartmoor National Park status. The MoD Estates are considering giving up some land and we feel this land in Dartmoor National Park should be freed first.'