Access Land Question

05-12.-2007, 08:28 PM	#1
Nick Guest Posts: n/a	Access Land Question I am confused about CROW open access land. I had assumed when the legislation came in that most of the country would be opened up to walkers. But looking at the maps at www.openaccess.gov.uk, round where I live in the rural East Midlands, virtually nowhere is designated. There are a few Forestry Commission sites, but that is it. I remember that Madonna was getting upset at having her estate in Wiltshire open to walkers, but round here there are a good number of equally stately piles which seem not to have been affected. Is designating access land entirely down to the enthusiasm of the local authority rights of way department, or am I missing the point of the legislation? Nick

05-12.-2007, 09:33 PM	#2
Roger Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Access Land Question The message <47567dd0$0$512$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk> from Nick <do.not@use.this> contains these words: > I am confused about CROW open access land. I had assumed when the > legislation came in that most of the country would be opened up to > walkers. But looking at the maps at www.openaccess.gov.uk, round where > I live in the rural East Midlands, virtually nowhere is designated. > There are a few Forestry Commission sites, but that is it. I remember > that Madonna was getting upset at having her estate in Wiltshire open to > walkers, but round here there are a good number of equally stately piles > which seem not to have been affected. Is designating access land > entirely down to the enthusiasm of the local authority rights of way > department, or am I missing the point of the legislation? I am sure someone will be along in a minute to point you at the statutory definition but basically it is only unimproved land that is open access which in practice means mostly the upper slopes of the bigger hills. ISTR that most highish ground was automatically designated and it was then up to the landowner to appeal. ITSM that the appeals process has been generous to at least some landowners but I have also found open access which I would have definitely classified as improved which might point at flaws in the basic processes and where landowners haven't bothered to appeal. Even in Scotland where the right to roam is more robust the less immediate environs of stately homes can be barred to us plebs. (Viz Mrs Slowcoach's mansion). -- Roger Chapman Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Great Orme. 89 miles as the crow flies, considerably more as the walker drives.

06-12.-2007, 12:35 AM	#3
Mike Clark Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Access Land Question In message <47567dd0$0$512$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk> Nick <do.not@use.this> wrote: > I am confused about CROW open access land. I had assumed when the > legislation came in that most of the country would be opened up to > walkers. But looking at the maps at www.openaccess.gov.uk, round where > I live in the rural East Midlands, virtually nowhere is designated. > There are a few Forestry Commission sites, but that is it. I remember > that Madonna was getting upset at having her estate in Wiltshire open to > walkers, but round here there are a good number of equally stately piles > which seem not to have been affected. Is designating access land > entirely down to the enthusiasm of the local authority rights of way > department, or am I missing the point of the legislation? > > Nick If you go to the ramblers website there is more information. see http://www.ramblers.org.uk/ Essentially the CROW Act of 2000 is now in force and the included land should have all been surveyed between 2001 and November 2005. The act referred to "open country" which was defined as "mountain, moor, heath and down". However the act didn't further define these types of land so the Countryside Agency produced its own criteria prior to mapping. Areas under 5 hectares could be excluded if the agencies wished. Land registered under the Commons Registration Act of 1965 was also included. Conclusive maps are not drawn up and designated until after any appeals process has been completed. Thus if a landowner appeals against designation the process is delayed whilst the appeal is heard. There will also be a Review process that will allow these maps to be redesignated and changed on a basis of not longer than 10 years. If you think that local areas of land have been miss-designated then the best thing to do is to lobby through a local campaigning group such as a local RA group, equestrian group, cycling organisation, or the BMC, if these are appropriate to the particular area. Mike -- o/ \\ // \|\ ,_ o Mike Clark <\__,\\ // __o \| \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing, "> \|\| _`\<,_ \|__\ \> \| reader in immunology, antibody engineer and ` \|\| (_)/ (_) \| \corn computer user"

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