Alongside the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), we at Landmarc Support Services (Landmarc) are custodians of some of the most dramatic scenery, sweeping vistas and beautiful countryside in the UK.
We would always encourage the public to use this land when it is safe to do so. However, in recent years, more and more people are putting themselves at risk by accessing the land whilst our Armed Forces carry out combat training.
As a result, the DIO, as part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), have launched the ‘Respect the Range’ campaign to warn people about the dangers of using the UK Defence Training Estate at the wrong times.
At Landmarc we fully support the DIO with its Training Estate Public Safety (TEPS) programme in order to assist with public safety. The TEPS programme is an ongoing initiative to crackdown on the number of illegal incursions taking place across the Training Estate, ensuring that it remains a safe place to train for our Armed Forces as well as providing safe public access when it is appropriate to do so.
Here Landmarc’s John Stanwix, TEPS Team Leader at Salisbury Plain Training Area, chats about his role and the importance of public safety on the UK Training Estate:
“Salisbury Plain is a shared space. It’s where families and locals spend time but it’s also where our Armed Forces practise live-fire training. It can go from tranquil to treacherous overnight. Therefore, it really is vital that everyone be mindful of this dual use, and ensure they’re using the training areas only when it’s safe to do so.
“The TEPS team’s core role is to establish and maintain a safe place for military staff to train. Here at Salisbury Plain I oversee a team of four and we all take shifts to patrol the Estate in order to ensure there is no one at risk.
“A lot of people who encroach on the land during live-fire training sessions say that they weren’t aware of the risks, but training times are published online and in local outlets such as the Parish Council newsletter, so it’s vital to check these as well as the signs and flags on the Estate itself in order to keep yourselves safe.
“There are so many different users of the Plain – dog walkers, mountain bikers, hikers, campers, bird watchers and families to name but a few – so it’s important that the TEPS team are super vigilant at all times in order to ensure that all activities are carried out with everyone’s safety as the highest priority.
“Salisbury Plain is also classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Area (SPA), and we have many ground nesting birds at this time of year, so it’s also important that we protect and conserve the natural habitats of many animals and various wildlife that inhibit the Estate.”
To find out more about the Respect The Range campaign, and to check the training times, visit www.gov.uk/guidance/safe-access or search Salisbury Plain Training Times/Aldershot Training Times.