Countryside Alliance uproar on United Utilities shooting ban

The utility company, which is headquartered in Great Sankey, recently announced that it would not be renewing shooting licenses for its land.

United Utilities is one of the largest landowners in the UK. It says it will listen widely before final decisions are made.

In the wake of the announcement, some groups are enraged at United Utilities' decision, including the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, as well as the Countryside Alliance.

Following a conversation with the chief executive of @unitedutilities, Louise Beardmore, we are encouraged that she has pledged to undertake independent reviews of the 23 shoots that would have been affected by the original decision.

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— BASC (@BASCnews) August 8, 2023

A statement released by BASC North's director, Duncan Thomas, said: "Shoots have worked closely with United Utilities for decades, this decision is an insult to all that proactive and practical work.

“There is anger and frustration across the board. Jobs will be lost, the rural economy will suffer and hands-on conservation projects overseen by the shoots will cease.

"It’s a disaster for wildlife and habitats. It is a travesty for practical conservation."

Today, August 12, the Countryside Alliance has released a statement condemning the decision-making process at United Utilities.

The date of the statement is significant, as today is traditionally known as the 'Glorious Twelfth,' which traditionally signifies the beginning of the shooting season.

In the statement, the Countryside Alliance's chief executive, Tim Bonner, says: "Our message to United Utilities is that [they] have not seen anything yet.

"The ‘Glorious Twelfth’ is the perfect opportunity to highlight the environmental and cultural vandalism of banning an activity which delivers so much in terms of environmental, social and economic benefit.

"If United Utilities is determined to continue with its current policy and halt the management that species like curlew rely on it will have to answer for the decline in biodiversity that is bound to result.”

United Utilities is based in Great Sankey (Image: Newsquest)

Making the announcement at the end of July, Louise Beardmore, CEO of United Utilities, said: “We made a commitment that we would no longer renew any existing shooting leases on a long-term basis and that has guided our approach over the last couple of years.

"I can now also confirm that we will not issue any new shooting leases as United Utilities as we go forward.”

The move was welcomed by some, with Luke Steele, executive director of Wild Moors, saying: "The world is fast moving in a direction where restoring land for nature, carbon capture and people is at the forefront of tackling climate change and biodiversity loss.

“As England’s largest corporate landowner, United Utilities has risen to the challenge of creating a wilder and more diverse future for the uplands, and we commend the company for its decision to end grouse shooting on its moors.

"We now urge other landowners to follow on.”

As of 2027 at the latest, grouse shooting licences will no longer be issued on United Utilities' land, which includes land in Bowland, Burnley, Buxton, Glossop, and near Chorley, too.

A United Utilities spokesperson said this week: “The catchment land under United Utilities‘ stewardship supplies water for 7 million people across the North West and we are committed to managing, and investing in, all of our assets to improve water quality and resilience for the benefit of the communities we serve.  These objectives alone underpin the land management policies we apply to the 56,000 hectares of land that we, as a company, own.

“As part of our work to improve water quality and catchment resilience as we face into the emerging risks of climate change, we are looking at all activities on our land. This includes 12,000 hectares where we have indicated we will not be renewing shooting licences.

“We have received many representations about the potential impact of not renewing those licences. As a result, we are arranging an independent review of each shooting licence. The review will seek to understand fully the environmental, economic and social impact of our proposals, to ensure we maximise opportunities to safeguard and improve the region’s future water resources, while minimising the impact on livelihoods and communities.  

“We take our responsibility seriously to engage fully with our community stakeholders. We are aware there are many voices and points of view and we will listen to everyone involved.”