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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/04/national-trust-accused-of-backtracking-over-trail-hunting-on-its-land
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| National Trust accused of backtracking over trail hunting on its land | National Trust accused of backtracking over trail hunting on its land |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The National Trust has been accused of backtracking on a promise to publish the routes used in controversial trail hunts held on its lands after the charity said it did not want to encourage a climate of confrontation between followers and protesters. | The National Trust has been accused of backtracking on a promise to publish the routes used in controversial trail hunts held on its lands after the charity said it did not want to encourage a climate of confrontation between followers and protesters. |
| A motion to prohibit trust land from being used for trail hunting was narrowly defeated at the charity’s AGM last month. Trail hunts involve hounds and riders follow a pre-laid scent path but many regard it as a means of circumventing the 2004 Hunting Act. | A motion to prohibit trust land from being used for trail hunting was narrowly defeated at the charity’s AGM last month. Trail hunts involve hounds and riders follow a pre-laid scent path but many regard it as a means of circumventing the 2004 Hunting Act. |
| The motion had been opposed by the trust’s board and in the run-up to the conference it had pledged to publish the routes taken in future. “We will ask for all specified routes and dates of trail hunts in advance and these will be published on a new page on our website,” an AGM booklet read. | The motion had been opposed by the trust’s board and in the run-up to the conference it had pledged to publish the routes taken in future. “We will ask for all specified routes and dates of trail hunts in advance and these will be published on a new page on our website,” an AGM booklet read. |
| There was anger, however, when the trust said on Facebook that it would not be publishing routes or meeting points following discussions with the police and others. | There was anger, however, when the trust said on Facebook that it would not be publishing routes or meeting points following discussions with the police and others. |
| Helen Beynon, the NT member who tabled the AGM motion accused the trust of lying to its members. | Helen Beynon, the NT member who tabled the AGM motion accused the trust of lying to its members. |
| It had originally bowed to pressure from members and agreed there was a need to review the oversight of hunting on its lands, she said. Question remained about what the hunts usedto create the trails and whether any scent was being used at all, she said. | It had originally bowed to pressure from members and agreed there was a need to review the oversight of hunting on its lands, she said. Question remained about what the hunts usedto create the trails and whether any scent was being used at all, she said. |
| “Given all this you have absolutely misled your members before and during the debate,” she said. “Please explain how giving simply a map of an area to anyone interested, gives them any idea where the hunt might be at anyone time. Clearly this has been done so hunts can avoid scrutiny.” | “Given all this you have absolutely misled your members before and during the debate,” she said. “Please explain how giving simply a map of an area to anyone interested, gives them any idea where the hunt might be at anyone time. Clearly this has been done so hunts can avoid scrutiny.” |
| A spokesperson for the trust said that, as part of new terms, it would provide details of dates and maps of the licensed hunting areas on its website “providing the level of transparency our visitors need to make an informed decision over whether or not they want to avoid a hunt in that area on certain days of the year. | A spokesperson for the trust said that, as part of new terms, it would provide details of dates and maps of the licensed hunting areas on its website “providing the level of transparency our visitors need to make an informed decision over whether or not they want to avoid a hunt in that area on certain days of the year. |
| “However, we do not want to encourage or create a climate of confrontation between trail hunt followers or protesters. Following advice from the police in September, we took the decision not to publish details of specific routes after concerns were raised over public safety and the potential for disorder.” | “However, we do not want to encourage or create a climate of confrontation between trail hunt followers or protesters. Following advice from the police in September, we took the decision not to publish details of specific routes after concerns were raised over public safety and the potential for disorder.” |
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