The following is a guest post by the Rev Dr Peter Mullen, Hon. Chaplain of The Freedom Association. 

“There has been grouse shooting on Ilkley Moor since the guns that allowed it were invented.” So said Edward Bromet, chairman of the Bingley Moor Partnership (BMP). But there will be no more shooting.

The Labour run Bradford Council has banned it. They voted “with overwhelming majority" not to renew a ten-year shooting lease.

So now who is going to pay for moorland conservation in the area?

Mr Bromet said that the BMP, which has made substantial payments towards this, would have invested a further £800,000 had the lease been renewed for another ten years. Also, the moorland stood to benefit from another £1million in private investment through local partnerships.