‘Spinning a yarn’: Councillor proposing ban on trail hunting on council-owned land dismisses criticism of motion

Cllr Rich Maw, who represents the Weaponness and Ramshill division on North Yorkshire Council, has proposed a motion which would ban trail hunting on council-owned land.

The Scarborough councillor, whose motion has been seconded by the Green Party’s Cllr Arnold Warneken, claims that trail hunts are used as “a loophole to carry on hunting foxes and other animals”.

However, ahead of the motion being debated at the council’s full meeting on Wednesday, July 19, the Countryside Alliance has criticised it as “anti-rural” and a “colossal waste of time”.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Maw said: “The Countryside Alliance is a political lobbying group so what they say comes with an agenda and from my point of view, it is highly predictable that they would put forward this skewed view.”

The hunting of foxes with dogs was banned in the Hunting Act 2004 but the law does allow for trail hunting, which is intended to replicate traditional fox hunting.

Cllr Maw said: “Anybody who has looked into the Hunting Act 2004 will see gaping holes in that law.”

He added: “I think trail hunting is a sham, it’s been proven to be a sham, and anybody who supports that may as well put their hands up and say that they support blood sports.”

The Countryside Alliance, which describes itself as “a political campaigning force that promotes and protects the rural way of life” including hunting, said: “This motion does nothing to help animal welfare, but everything to fuel prejudice against rural people.

“Submitting this motion is a colossal waste of time when there are so many genuine issues facing people living across North Yorkshire, not least the cost-of-living crisis.”

The proposed motion, which has the backing of the Labour and Green Party groups on North Yorkshire Council, states: “This council resolves to ban trail hunting, exempt hunting, hound exercise and hunt meets outright across all council land where legally possible.”

Asked whether he thought the motion would be approved, Cllr Maw said he was not overly optimistic.

“Unfortunately, given the political makeup of the county and the fact that the Conservatives have most of the councillors in conjunction with independents, they will probably vote to kick this to the executive or the scrutiny committee,” he said.

He added: “If it goes to committee then I’ll be keeping pressure on councillors and groups so they are completely aware of what trail hunting is and how devastating it is to rural communities.”

The motion will be debated by councillors at the full meeting of North Yorkshire Council on Wednesday, July 19, at County Hall in Northallerton.