NEGATIVE media stories could seriously damage the long-term interests of Exmoor, according to the moor authority in its own response to a survey being conducted by one of its most vocal critics.

Posted on Exmoor National Park Authority's own website, the lengthy response is in reply to a postal survey sent to moor residents by Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger.

The authority said it was always ready and willing to work with local people and said more could be achieved if everyone worked together.

An authority spokesman said the response had not been sent to the MP as his questionnaire was felt to be "biased, self-selecting and of little merit".

The spokesman added: "The response document we put on our website was really to give people balanced and factual information so that they are more able to make their own minds up."

Mr Liddell-Grainger said he had already received more than 1,200 replies since sending out the survey two weeks ago and the overwhelming majority were critical of the park authority.

He said the survey's questions were simply aimed at gauging public opinion on the state of the moor and the role of the national park authority.

The survey focused on the role of Government-appointed national park authority members and asked whether the authority did more for wildlife than people.

It also questioned whether more could be done to help residents and to encourage tourists to the park.

In its response, the authority said it provided a range of opportunities for local residents to have their input into its policies and fully agreed that more tourists should be encouraged to visit the area.

But it said much was already being done to attract visitors, while substantial work had also been done to help farmers living on the moor, including attracting millions of pounds in additional funding through lobbying.

The authority also defended its planning system and said nine out of ten planning applications were approved.

It pointed out that 32 local needs affordable homes had been built in the park in the last two and a half years, with a further 15 in the pipeline and an additional 46 "under discussion".

The response concluded: "The national park authority has a challenging role in championing the needs of Exmoor's communities, economy and environment.

"Over the last ten years it has made significant achievements to the benefit of Exmoor, including the attractions of many millions of pounds to support the development of the local economy, as well as to achieve environmental purposes."

Mr Liddell-Grainger said he believed Exmoor was becoming little more than "a playground for a few environmentalists" and called for more action to ensure local families could remain on the moor.

He accused the authority of having a "wickedly restrictive planning regime", which stifled development and economic prospects.

But the park authority has the backing of Jon Bright, the regional director of the Government Office of the South West, who earlier this month wrote to Mr Liddell-Grainger, stating his support for Exmoor's tough stance on new-build homes.

He said he was "encouraged" that the authority's policy of only allowing new houses to be built as local needs affordable homes was starting to lead to the delivery of new, affordable homes.

Mr Bright acknowledged there had been a delay between the introduction of the policy and the physical construction of homes, but blamed that on the reluctance of developers rather than the performance of the national park authority.

He said landowners had been reluctant to accept open market housing was no longer permitted and it had taken time for them to accept "depressed land values".

He also disagreed with Mr Liddell-Grainger's call for all Government-appointed park authority members to live within the boundary of Exmoor.

Mr Liddell-Grainger has long maintained that many appointees simply do not understand the realities of life on the moor and claimed local policies were being "dictated by outsiders".

Mr Liddell-Grainger said: "The authority includes representatives from local councils who are supposed to be the mouthpieces for local people's views, a role which, to their credit, they do their best to fulfil.

"But it is also stuffed with ministerial appointees - most of whom live outside the park - an unelected, unaccountable bunch."

In a covering letter attached to the survey, Mr Liddell-Grainger said he was determined to find an "intelligent solution" to the problems he had come across on the moor and pledged to send the results to Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Although respondents will be asked to supply their name and address with returned surveys, Mr Liddell-Grainger said all responses would be confidential.

Copies of the questionnaire are also available on the MP's website at http://www.liddellgrainger.org.uk">www.liddellgrainger.org.uk.