Right to roam boost for southern England
Walkers in the south of England looking for a Boxing Day walk will have more options this year as thousands of hectares of land are open to the public for the first time.
From December 14th new land will be open for walkers – but not cyclists or horse riders – under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. This will include South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath, Dorset, Berkshire, Hampshire the Isle of Wight and parts of Somerset.
Walkers will no longer have to keep to footpaths and can wander freely across open land. Land owners can exclude the public from certain areas, for example for livestock management reasons.
The south is the third such area to be mapped and opened up, following the launch of the north west and south east areas in September. Eventually all eight of England’s mapping regions will be open – with the target date the end of 2005.
Speaking today, the Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael, said: “This is another very special day for everyone who loves the countryside.
“Southern England has a wealth of wonderful open countryside which everyone has the right to enjoy. The CRoW Act gives everyone the opportunity to do just that but I hope people make the most of it bearing in mind that it is important to respect the needs of land managers.”
Nick Barrett, chief executive of the Ramblers’ Association, added: “That future generations will have this unprecedented access to open country is testament to the extraordinary dedication of many thousands of ordinary people, some of whom have campaigned for it all their lives. They would be the first to recognise that with rights come responsibilities. I am confident the respect and love walkers have for the countryside will prove that this is a wise, fair and beneficial piece of legislation.”
However, land owners and farmers are stressing the need for responsible access. Speaking in September when the first land was opened Mark Hudson, president, Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said: “The new challenge is to all to ensure that those enjoying their access rights are responsible too. We urge people to remember that this is not a general right to roam: it is access to mapped areas of land which may be temporarily closed for safety and land management reasons. Visitors can help care for the countryside by respecting the Countryside Code and by supporting local shops and businesses. But the most important thing that people can do is to check the access website, check the new maps and check the local information points to see where they can go.”
