Another attempt to ban popular Tiverton Boxing Day meet fails

Another attempt to ban a popular Boxing Day meet in Tiverton, Mid Devon, has been rejected.

A motion had been proposed by Cllr Chris Berry urging Tiverton Town Council to oppose any trail hunt from using the town’s name, or meeting in the town with hounds or horses, on Boxing Day or at any time in the future.

Following a lively debate with several public speakers at their meeting held on 25 November, nine councillors voted for the motion, nine against it, with four abstaining. That meant the town’s mayor, Cllr Neal Davey, who was chairing the council meeting, had to cast the deciding vote. He voted against, meaning that the motion was defeated.

After the meeting, the Town Clerk confirmed that even if the motion had been successful, the town council has no powers to stop a hunt meet given they do not use land that it owns. 

The latest attempt follows a failed bid to derail the festive event in 2022.

In the build up to this vote, various online animal rights affiliated accounts had attempted to whip up support for the motion on social media, though it is unclear whether any have any real association with the local area.

The Tiverton Hunt’s annual Boxing Day meet is always incredibly well attended, with families from all over the local area flocking to the town centre to cheer on the spectacle. Many attendees use the opportunity to shop locally, supporting local hospitality and retail at an important time of year.

Speaking to local media after the vote, a spokesperson for the Countryside Alliance said:

“Boxing Day meets are enjoyed by thousands of people from all walks of life, in many cases bringing much needed footfall to towns and village centres, boosting support for local businesses. Often criticism of these popular events is whipped up by small groups of activists from outside the local area. It is right that local authorities support these popular events and we would like to extend our thanks to all those councillors who backed their local rural community and voted against this divisive motion.”

The vote, however, signals a reminder to hunts to be on the lookout for similar attempts to curtail Boxing Day hunt-related activity in other parts of the country. It is vital that all eyes are kept on local/parish council agendas in the build up to 26 December.

The Countryside Alliance has spearheaded numerous successful counter-campaigns to combat attempts to curtail lawful hunting activity from taking place on council land, including North Yorkshire, Cornwall and North Northamptonshire.