Anthony Mangnall MP updates his response to the case of wild camping on Dartmoor

Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall has updated his statement following the high court ruling that effectively ended the right to wild camping on Dartmoor and the rest of the country. 

Anthony Mangnall released a statement yesterday, Tuesday, 17 January, after it emerged that the Totnes Conservative Association recieved a donation from the millionaire landowner that took Dartmoor National Park to court over wild camping. 

Read our previous stories: 

Right to wild camp on Dartmoor is lost in court case 

Totnes Conservatives took donation from wealthy landowner who fought wild camping on Dartmoor

This morning, Wednesday, 18 January, Mr Mangnall released another statement. 

He said he was "fully in favour of the right to roam and wild camping on Dartmoor", adding: "Last week's ruling provided clarification on the matter, confirming that the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 does not give the right to wild camp as part of recreational activities.

"The next steps are for the Dartmoor Commons Act to be amended, or for Dartmoor National Park Authority to work with landowners and come to an agreement about wild camping. I'm hoping both these things can happen and will be working with DNPA in the coming days to make sure we can find a way through so people still have the right to access the beautiful and historic National Park.

"I am strongly in favour or wild camping, in favour of the right to roam and in favour of protecting Dartmoor National Park.

"What I am hoping to see is that Dartmoor National Park remains open and available to all those who wish to roam and wild camp, and I will be working to make that happen.”

Mr Darwall, the landowner who brought forward the legal case, "previously made a donation to the Totnes Conservative Association". Mr Mangnall has confirmed that the "donation was given in late 2019 and registered in January 2020, in line with the rules set out by the Independent Parliamentary
Standards Authority".

He said “this donation has no bearing on the legal case or the findings of the High Court, nor any impact on the decisions I make.”