UUCP Meets to Discuss Importance of Game Shooting to Rural Communities
On Thursday 25th January the Inn at Whitewell played host to 75 members of the Utilities Uncovered Consultative Panel (formerly the United Utilities Consultative Panel), who met in the pub’s spacious marquee to discuss the impact that game shooting has on rural communities.
The atmosphere among attendees was overwhelmingly positive and constructive. Organisers were particularly pleased to see Chris Matthews, head of sustainability at United Utilities, present to listen and engage with UUCP members, including some of United Utilities’ own leaseholders.
United Utilities’ presence was particularly important following the water company’s announcement that it is considering a ban on game shooting on land that it owns. Many of the utility’s leaseholders have been understandably concerned by the announcement, with game shooting providing a vital revenue stream to farmers and other tenants.
First to speak was Helen Benson, CEO of the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust (GWT). Helen explained that staff on a typical day’s shooting come from all walks of life, with entire families often taking part in the day. What unites them is a love for the countryside and the desire to exercise and connect with nature.
Helen noted that most gamekeepers live in accommodation provided by their employers, with many unable to afford to live in their areas were it not for this lifeline. She explained that the threat of redundancy was having a very real impact on the mental wellbeing of gamekeepers, observing that one person a week dies by suicide in rural communities.
The GWT had written to United Utilities directors about the issue of sporting licenses but has so far only received a generic reply from CEO Louise Beardmore. Meanwhile, Helen pointed out that United Utilities places a great deal of emphasis on its website on ‘Doing the Right Thing’ and questioned whether it was practising what it preached in this regard.
Next up was Charlie Bowman, owner of the Inn at Whitewell. Charlie highlighted how much rural businesses rely on the shooting community, estimating that his own pub had benefitted from 303 bed nights from shooting parties the previous year. He observed that these same guests were going out and spending their money at other businesses nearby and that January would be an even more challenging time for the hospitality industry without the footfall provided by shooting.
Finally Jeremy Duckworth, owner of the nearby Bleasdale Estate in the Forest of Bowland AONB, spoke of the impact ending sporting licenses would have on local biodiversity. In particular he warned that by undermining the conservation work of gamekeepers, United Utilities could threaten the Special Protection Area (SPA) designation of the Bowland Fells area.
He described United Utilities’ plans to end sporting licenses as ‘greenwashing’ and observed that big landowners often underestimate the importance of predator control by gamekeepers in maintaining healthy levels of wildlife on their properties.
Jeremy asserted that United Utilities has a responsibility towards the community it operates in but is failing to meet that responsibility, both on sporting licenses and by regularly dumping untreated sewage into local waterways. He pointed out that many of United Utilities’ neighbours felt let down and might be less disposed to help the water company when it comes into trouble, for instance if it suffered a wildfire on its land.
All in all it was a productive and constructive meeting and the UUCP wishes to thank United Utilities for their continued engagement with representatives from the local community.