Preserve Our Rights of Way: Walk that walk!

A topical issue. Where do you stand?

New legislation under discussion

Government Draft Deregulation Bill  (see Use of Land, Sections 12-18, pages 18-23)

The Guardian

Diversion or extinguishment of rights of way

Intrusive Footpaths Campaign (Telegraph)

Privacy and Right to Roam laws (Telegraph)

Government consultation document outcome

Responses to consultation (pdf) *

Preserving rights of way

Towns and Village Greens, Law

Open Spaces Society

Dorset, Public Rights of Way

Dorset, Definitive Rights of Way Map, and how it is possible to have it changed or modified

Deadline to record rights of way

Notes for landowners

The Ramblers

The Swedish Right of Public Access ++ - a fair and responsible model

* Overall summary of the responses and main messages

"Most respondents supported the Stakeholder Working Group proposals as a whole. There was also broad acceptance of the Group’s basic tenet that the proposals needed to be implemented as a package, because of the importance of maintaining consensus reached between access, environmental, land owner and local authority representatives. There was some feeling that the opportunity to make more radical changes had been missed, but also recognition that it was not an easy task to produce a series of proposals that could gain agreement from all parties. A minority of respondents criticised the Stakeholder Working Group process as being unrepresentative and some expressed concern that there had been no opportunity for the wider rights of way stakeholder community to evaluate the Stakeholder Working Group proposals before they were published. There was strong support for national guidance for local authorities, applicants and landowners and backing for more flexibility for informal consultation and negotiated settlements in advance of formal legal proceeding and for improving the relationship between the parties involved in rights of way procedures. A strong message from respondents was the need to avoid introducing extra bureaucracy, with the associated costs. There were concerns that where any new any legal criteria were introduced, they need to be clearly defined and that the processes should be transparent. There was strong support across all sectors for a higher burden of proof for definitive map modification order applications".

++ Everyman and Allemansrätten 

I like this right of public access,

Allemansrätten, Everyman’s Right,

Which allows us to enjoy

“The fragrance of flowers,

The singing of birds,

The silence of the forest,

The flower-covered meadows”-

To swim in the sea,

To sail in all waters,

To tie up our boats,

To wander ashore,

To walk across land,

Pick berries and mushrooms,

Wild flowers for our wreaths...