This paper sets out some initial ideas on how local access advice could help land managers to introduce the new access arrangements arising from the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
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NCAF 10/3 Provision of Local Access Advice

1. This paper sets out some initial ideas on how local access advice could help land managers to introduce the new access arrangements arising from the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

2. The Agency is seeking the Forum's view on the need for local access advice and on how the Agency should develop this idea.

Background 

3. The Countryside Agency is looking at ways to ensure that the provisions of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 will work well in practice on the ground. 

4. The Government's White Paper 'Our Countryside: the future' published in November 2000, states a commitment to 'look further at whether we can improve the accessibility, quality and relevance of advice' available to land managers.

5. Land managers will have an important role to play in facilitating the new right of access to open countryside and common land. Land managers may welcome advice to help them to make sense of the new access rights and responsibilities. The provision of specialist advice to land managers will be one way of assisting with the introduction and subsequent management of new access. 

Purpose of local access advice

6. Access advice could be targeted at land managers to help them to:

a. prepare an access management plan for their land, which might consider issues such as:

  • positive access management which accommodates access and minimises the use of the formal restrictions system;
  • enabling access on to 'islands' of access land, perhaps through the creation of new rights of way;
  • the scope for providing opportunities for 'higher rights' users such as cyclists and horseriders;
  • the need for new crossing points in field boundaries;
  • providing information on where people can go and what they can do;  
b. liaise with relevant authorities, access authorities, local access forums, users and neighbouring land managers; and

c. make use of sources of information, training and financial incentives.

Provision of local access advice

7. Various advisory services are already provided by a number of Government departments, statutory agencies, charitable organisations and professional bodies. These services cover a wide range of topics including management for biodiversity, landscape and farm business advice. New access advice needs to be provided in an integrated way with existing mechanisms for delivering advice to land managers.

8. Local access advice would need to be available a few months before commencement of the new right of access to assist in the design of management measures.

9. The Countryside Agency is currently involved in discussions with MAFF and others about the provision of advice to land managers on a whole range of issues. The provision of access advice might be considered as part of this work. 

Next steps

10. Initially, the Agency could develop this idea by: 

a. assessing the feasibility of including access advice as part of existing discussions on the integrated delivery of advice to farmers;  and

b. identifying partners to help test different approaches to the delivery of access advice.