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The society is pleased that the government has set out some encouraging steps for more and better public access in its Environmental Improvement Plan (published 1 December), but we want to know when they will happen.
We welcome the government’s plans to ‘consult on measures to ensure that everyone has access to nature close to home and to strengthen the public’s legal rights to access through the Access to Nature Green Paper’ but argue that the vague aim to publish this ‘during this parliament’ is unacceptable.
Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, comments: ‘There are only 42 months left of this parliament. We need legislation to achieve the access people need, but that is a long process. If the law is not passed during this parliament it is unlikely ever to be passed. Every Labour government since the war has legislated for access, will this be the first not to do so?
‘It is not enough merely to consult during this parliament, government must pledge to pass an Access to Nature Act.
‘The recent report, Outdoors for All, from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature provides an excellent basis for consultation, giving government a head start.
‘We are anxious to see new laws extending public rights of access to woodlands and watersides, and on water, to help achieve government’s admirable aim of “inclusive access to nature”.
‘The promise to design local green spaces in collaboration with communities, to enable people to visit nature close to where they live, is a fine one. The government wants to “make sure that everyone has access to green or blue spaces within a 15-minute walk from home”, a pledge in the previous EIP, but there is no timetable for most of the actions.
‘Access to green spaces would be boosted by making land a town or village green, with a requirement for developers to dedicate greens within new developments, and incentives for landowners ‘voluntarily’ to dedicate land. Then the land is protected for ever, and local people have rights of recreation there.
‘The nine new national river walks and three new national forests must have permanent access: dedicated rights of way and access land. Permissive access cannot be relied upon and will disappear when the agreement ends. The same applies to the new access in the Tree Action Plan,’ Kate argues.
‘The 2031 cut-off date for recording historic rights of way, must be repealed as soon as possible. This was promised nearly a year ago.
‘The EIP is full of useful ideas and promises, but a clear timetable is essential. Public access is crucial for people’s health and well-being, mental and physical, and to local economies, so it is a really worthwhile investment,’ Kate declares.