New position paper released: Access to the Countryside

‘Change is inevitable: it should be for the better’ – Richard Lloyd, Trustee

Today we have released our position statement on access to the countryside which explores the issues surrounding public rights of way.

The document has been prompted by the suggestion made in an article “Why we need the right to roam further” (Countryside Voices, CPRE, Spring 2021) that the right to roam, introduced by the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000 and covering access land, be extended to other areas including the Green Belt.

The issue of access to open spaces was brought into the limelight during the coronavirus pandemic, when a far greater number of people sought solace in nature. In this document, we consider the implications of extending the right to roam beyond access land.

Read the full article here

With thanks

CPRE is grateful for the contributions of representatives of the National Farmers Union, the Ramblers and the Woodland Trust to discussions on this matter.