High Court rules Dartmoor commons mismanaged by Dartmoor Commoners’ Council
Wild Justice secures victory as court finds Dartmoor overgrazed
The High Court has ruled that Dartmoor Commons have been mismanaged by the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council (DCC), with concerns about overgrazing leading to the deterioration of significant wildlife habitats.
Environmental campaign group, Wild Justice, successfully argued that DCC failed to meet legal conservation responsibilities under the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 (DCA), specifically failing to assess appropriate grazing numbers resulting in overstocking.
Dartmoor Commons comprise over two-thirds of Dartmoor National Park, with some 850 landowners, known as commoners, holding rights to graze livestock. These rights are granted under the DCA, which includes conservation responsibilities.
A government assessment in 2023, known as the Fursdon Review, highlighted Dartmoor was “not in a good state” and pointed out many Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) were in unfavourable condition, suggesting reduced grazing stock could improve these areas.
The High Court ruling, delivered on 17th March 2026 by Mr Justice Mould, demands DCC conduct both quantitative and qualitative analysis of livestock numbers to prevent exceeding the commons’ capacity.
Bob Elliot, CEO of Wild Justice, emphasised the need for DCC to adhere to legal requirements and manage Dartmoor to enable ecological recovery:
“This judgment shows that the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council failed to do the most basic of work needed in order to understand how many animals the Dartmoor Commons can sustain... We will be scrutinising that assessment and, importantly, how DCC acts upon it in areas where overgrazing is apparent.”
Wild Justice filed their judicial review challenge in August 2024 after initial warnings went unheeded, leading to the legal dispute which advanced to court by February 2025 with additional grounds permitted in April.
Carol Day, a senior solicitor representing Wild Justice, noted:
"It has been clear for years that overgrazing is one of the major issues leading to the ecological decline of Dartmoor’s important wildlife habitats...The Council must urgently carry out a qualitative and quantitative assessment of livestock so it can consider whether it must take steps to reduce that number.”