MEASURES which would exempt farmers in the Yorkshire Dales from limiting their use of nitrogen fertiliser have been backed by the national park authority.

In its response to a Government consultation paper on the implementation of the 1991 Nitrates Directive in England, the authority supports an option likely to offer exemption.

The Directive aims to protect water courses from nitrate pollution and requires farmers to limit the use of nitrogen fertiliser and the spread of organic manure, to have slurry storage and to keep detailed farm records.

The Government has proposed two options, one would see the measures applied across the whole of England and a second would be targeted only on areas where nitrates create particular environmental problems.

The second option would mean the measures would not be required in much of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, if at all.

The authority has argued that the less intensive farming methods of the area do not pose a nitrates risk and that the high level of take-up of agri-environment schemes is already helping keep nitrate levels low.

Officers and members considered that additional controls across the national park would make no significant difference to ground water nitrate levels.

Gary Smith, head of conservation and policy at the authority, said: "Our assessment is that, at the moment, nitrate use in the national park does not pose a significant risk to the area's ground water. We are, therefore, concerned about the additional cost to farmers of complying with the directive, which could be the final straw for some local farm businesses which have been severely tested in the last few years.

"If the measures are introduced in the national park it could also lead to increases in the number and size of slurry storage facilities to the detriment of the special scenic quality and landscape of the area. We are therefore backing the option that should exempt most, if not all, of the national park's farmers."