Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) has announced that it has been granted permission to appeal a judgment forbidding wild camping.
It follows a January High Court judgment that said campers would need permission from landowners.
The plaintiffs, Alexander and Diana Darwall, stated that the verdict posed “no threat to true wild camping.”
The DNPA, on the other hand, stated that it was “pleased” to be granted leave to appeal and will now consider whether to proceed.
It said it would be discussed at a meeting of its members on April 14th.
According to the statement, “despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the authority remains committed to working in partnership with landowners and others to ensure the success of a permissive approach to backpack camping.”
Its mission was to “enable people from all walks of life to enjoy Dartmoor National Park.”
The 368-square-mile national park, established in 1951, includes “commons,” which are stretches of unenclosed privately-owned moorland where villagers can keep livestock.
Wild camping was a local norm, according to DNPA, and the couple’s allegation constituted an “attack” on a “long-established practice of great importance.”
Mr. and Mrs. Darwall, who maintain cattle on their 3,450-acre estate, complained that some campers harmed livestock and polluted the environment.
Their argument convinced a judge that a 1985 statute governing access to moorlands does not grant the right to wild camps.
Before this decision, it was considered that anyone could camp without landowners’ permission.
Campers are now limited to certain places, displayed on an interactive map on the park authority’s website.
Sir Julian Flaux stated that his decision would mean that “the DNPA and all walkers and riders on the commons will know where they stand and what rights they have.”
Following the verdict, thousands of demonstrators gathered on Dartmoor to demand that it be overturned.
Ability to Roam said campers have lost 18% of usable land as a result, while the Ramblers said the verdict was “a huge step backward for everyone’s right to access nature.”
