Our countryside here in Mid Sussex is of great importance and I fully appreciate the benefits of outdoor activities, both physically and mentally. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 provides for a right to roam across open access land, giving the public a right of access to nature including most areas of mountain, moor, heath, down, registered common land and coastal margin. England has a fantastic network of footpaths and the public has the ‘right to roam’ over many areas of wild, open countryside.
I know that the previous Government took action to enhance access to the countryside through the King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP). Around 1,251 miles of the coastal path are now open. The new Government has sadly confirmed that not all of the 2,700 miles will be fully walkable by the end of 2024 which is disappointing. I understand that the Government is working with Natural England for a revised timetable for 2025/26 to determine when all of the KCIIIECP will be complete and open to public access.
Alongside this, the last Government's £14.5 million Access for All programme consisted of a package of targeted measures in protected landscapes, National Trails, forests and the wider countryside to make access to green and blue spaces more inclusive.
As it stands, any owner or occupier of land with a public right of way across it must avoid putting obstructions on or across the route, such as permanent or temporary fences, walls, hedgerows, padlocked gates or barbed wire. Landowners must also make sure vegetation does not encroach onto the route from the sides or above, bearing in mind the different clearances needed for users of different types of route, such as horse riders.
Obstructing a public right of way is a criminal offence. The highway authority has the right to demand landowners remove any obstruction they cause. If they refuse, the highway authority can remove the obstruction and recover the cost from the landowner.
I note that the Minister has confirmed that the new Government will be considering whether any changes are required to the current right to roam regime, with decisions to be announced in due course. I will follow this closely on behalf of my constituents.
