Breadcrumbs
A Framework for Countryside Recreation
Summary
We plan to invite the Countryside Agency Board to agree the outline of a 'Framework for countryside recreation' which will set out a plan for delivering the emerging Defra countryside recreation policy in England. The framework will explain the Countryside Agency's role in relation to countryside recreation and the unique contribution it can make. But it will look beyond a role for the Agency and put together a long-term action plan that others can sign up to.
This paper to NCAF outlines the scope, identifies some of the issues and suggests some potential solutions. It also outlines a process for consulting widely to refine or challenge the proposals we put forward.
Introduction
The Agency needs to look beyond the current Public Service Agreement (PSA) target to deliver open access by the end of 2005. In the immediate future we have an opportunity to contribute our collective ideas and thoughts to a Defra policy on countryside recreation, to a new PSA for countryside recreation, and to benefit the Government's Game Plan for increasing levels of activity in the population. We also need to take account of other PSAs such as one on increasing sport and physical activity (which Sport England is leading on) and one on increasing opportunities for disabled people including access to the environment (with the Department for Works and Pensions leading).
For the longer term we need a programme of work that is capable of keeping abreast of, and responding to, trends in countryside recreation based on the evidence from Day Visit Surveys and from the information we will gather from the Diversity Review. This needs to be supplemented with other evidence to back up the assumptions and hypotheses we make about the future of countryside recreation. We need to be clear and confident about how countryside recreation can contribute towards reversing the trend towards sedentary lifestyles and how informal recreation can be more accessible to more people. We also need more evidence of why countryside recreation is worthy of investment.
What role for the Countryside Agency?
The Countryside Agency is responsible for keeping under review all matters relating to the provision and maintenance of facilities for the enjoyment of the countryside; and the need to secure public access to the countryside for the purpose of open-air recreation (Countryside Act 1968, section 2(2). We are charged to advise ministers and public bodies on such matters. The Agency is also required to provide information to the public to prevent damage to the countryside and to inform the public of their rights and responsibilities (section 2(8). More recently the CROW Act has extended this duty to the provision of codes of conduct and information relating to access land (section 20).
The Agency has a unique role to play in setting the agenda for countryside recreation. We need to provide more evidence to back up the advice we give to the Government and other public bodies, through commissioning research where we do not already have a good evidence base. We also need more convincing facts to persuade others of the benefits of investing resources in countryside recreation.
We are also well placed to coordinate activities to test new approaches and ideas and to monitor progress. We believe that by working in partnership we can integrate approaches and ideas to develop innovative solutions that meet a range of different targets and objectives.
Do we need a framework for countryside recreation?
We believe that a framework would provide the direction needed to improve the provision of, and participation in countryside recreation. It would set out an action plan for delivering the emerging Defra policy on countryside recreation and it would re-focus the objectives and priorities of the Countryside Agency and other organisations at national, regional and local level. We would aim to cover a 10 to 15 year timescale in the framework and would identify targets for ourselves, and others. These, in turn, would need to link to other targets set by the Government.
The last time we reviewed countryside recreation was during the mid 1990s which resulted in the publication of a policy statement 'Countryside Recreation – Enjoying the living countryside' in March 1999. This, along with the recommendations in 'Rights of way in the 21st century' and 'Linking town and country', has provided a useful framework for our countryside recreation work over the last 5 years. Annex 1 provides a short description of some of the ongoing and recent recreation related work and initiatives.
Prior to this, the major review undertaken by the Countryside Commission in the mid 1980s led to 'Policies for enjoying the countryside' which set an objective for the Countryside Commission and all organisations with responsibilities in the countryside to:
"improve and extend opportunities for the public to enjoy the countryside. But in doing so, to re-emphasise the link between the conservation of an attractive countryside and its enjoyment by the public."
We believe the time is right to look at countryside recreation again, in the light of recent developments and opportunities. In doing so we need to look at the provision of countryside recreation, to meet different agendas – to address under-representation of some sectors of the population, and to contribute to reversing the trend towards sedentary lifestyles. The Diversity Review and Walking the Way to Health Initiative provide a good basis from which to do this.
NCAF members are invited to comment on whether a framework for countryside recreation is needed, whether the time is right and whether the Countryside Agency should take the lead in preparing it.
On-going projects and initiatives?
A new framework for countryside recreation should NOT cast aside all ongoing work (see Annex 1). However current priorities (such as providing more open access on foot to mountain, moor, heath and common land) will need to be set within a bigger agenda for countryside recreation. The framework will also present an opportunity to clearly state the importance of progressing the Discovering Lost Ways project in order to improve recreation opportunities, particularly for horse-riders and cyclists. There are also other issues and opportunities that we, and others, have not been able to give any or as much attention to as we would have liked in recent years such as providing better information and understanding how to promote this to more people.
Approach to and scope of a strategy
There are many ways of looking at countryside recreation and many different reasons for doing so. Our starting position is that countryside recreation can take place in a spectrum of locations from remote countryside to greenspace in and around urban areas; from wide, open wild places to formal landscapes and linear routes. The reasons for participation are hugely varied from work or study related to pure leisure time pursuits - with many variations in between. Participation might be daily or very occasional, for 10 minutes or the main reason for a two-week holiday. The purpose might be for social interaction or to escape from everything; for health (ie exercise) or for creativity (eg take a photo, paint, write or to think). Activities can be high energy, adrenalin pursuits or just admiring a view; they can be quiet or noisy; on land, water or even end up in the air. We believe a countryside recreation strategy must consider all of these activities because they can, and do, impact on each other and on the environment.
Countryside recreation is often associated with visiting picturesque and dramatic landscapes and quaint villages. For some a drive through these landscapes and perhaps a stop at a village for tea or a pub lunch, and maybe a short stroll is the experience they want. For others a trek in the countryside across a remote moor or through lowland fields and woodlands is countryside recreation. We need to build on the current emphasis on extending open access and on improving the rights of way network to improve these opportunities. A framework for countryside recreation should recognise the importance of agricultural and other landscape policies in managing the environment to take account of the diversity and character of the English countryside. Policies should take account of the tradition of providing access to enjoy this national heritage. Equally a framework should address the impact on villages – both positive (visitor spend helping to retain a village shop) and negative (traffic congestion).
There are forms of countryside recreation which could have a wider appeal and which could be managed to have a lower environmental impact (certainly on villages and on remoter areas). We believe that this will be an important consideration if we are also embarking on encouraging higher levels of countryside recreation amongst groups that currently rarely or never visit the countryside.
A framework must identify how countryside recreation relates to other agendas at the national, regional and local level. These include, for example, agricultural policy, planning policy, home tourism and health care. The framework must adopt an integrated approach. At the same time it must be focused on what is important and communicate this effectively.
We suggest we need a high-level statement which succinctly summarises what we want to achieve in a way which a very broad audience can relate to. This is a challenge in itself and something we believe will evolve through the preparation of the framework. However, as a starting point we offer for discussion:
"We want to see more people actively enjoying the countryside and the formal and informal greenspaces in and around towns and cities of England in a considerate and sustainable way. This is good for health and provides a better quality of life for individuals. It can also bring benefits to rural communities. To achieve this we will encourage more investment in the management of open space, better information about a variety of activities and more promotion and discussion on what is on offer."
What are NCAF member views on the proposed scope for a framework?
Is the gist of the high-level statement something that we could build on?
Audience, partners and stakeholders
The audience for the framework will include national government departments, local government, National Parks and AONBs, regional development agencies, funding bodies, other national agencies, major landowners and managers, representative bodies of land owners and businesses, representative bodies for user groups, parish councils and other bodies involved in delivering and driving forward the agenda such as Sustrans, Groundwork, CABEspace and Greenspace. We hope that many of these will sign up as partners with a distinct role in delivering the framework.
The ultimate beneficiaries of the strategy would be the general public and it must be focused on delivering to this audience.
Have we identified the right audiences for a strategy?
Processes
There are already a range of different mechanisms for influencing the countryside recreation agenda. The planning process, both policy guidance and local plans, is a fundamental way of retaining and delivering more open space but often fails to do so. Other local planning tools such as recreational strategies are optional and are rarely prepared or acted upon. Planning obligations could be used more often. There is potential to link these things together within the context of PPG17 on sport and recreation.
Planning better networks of linear routes which better meet the needs of the public is a new local authority function through the Rights of Way Improvement Plan process, soon to be combined with the Local Transport Plan process. And other local authority rights of way functions such as completing the definitive map and maintaining public rights of way also have a role to play in providing better opportunities for countryside recreation.
There is also government interest in improving the health of the nation through encouraging more active lifestyles and the Game Plan published in December 2002 sets an ambitious target of increasing activity levels from 33% of the population participating in ˝ an hour of physical activity 5 times a week to 70% by 2020. We are convinced that this target will not be met without taking account of and encouraging more informal recreation. An Activity Coordinating Team (ACT) has been established to work across government departments to deliver this target.
There are currently opportunities to influence agri-environment schemes, particularly at the higher-tier level to provide incentives for dedicating access land; for dedicating permanent or permissive rights of way for a range of different reasons from people wishing to walk to local services, to safer bridleway networks; or for dedicating access to, or facilities which support other forms of countryside recreation such as canoeing or angling.
Funding opportunities through government spending review rounds, and lottery schemes also present opportunities to attract the investment needed to deliver better recreational opportunities for all.
Are there other important processes which need to be taken account of in preparing a framework for countryside recreation?
Issues
The issues are summarised here under the headings: people and activities; place; time; and information.
People and activities
The main issues are:
Under-representation – 30% of people never visit the countryside and those that do are mainly white, middle class and middle aged. A broader definition of countryside (to include open greenspace in and around towns and cities) and the inclusion of a greater variety of activities (such as appreciating the countryside as a setting for art, music and drama; tai chi by a lake; golf; outdoor eating; as well as fishing, orienteering, kite flying, golf, games on the beach, bolder clambering, and much more) may help to increase this figure. And so could integrating the provision of formal and informal activities so that if you visit a recreation centre in a town there is information and waymarked routes for walking or cycling to the countryside. Alternatively, a Country Park might extend the range of activities provided to cater for a broader spectrum of interests.
Sedentary lifestyles – we believe that inactive lifestyles are growing amongst all age groups but the pattern is particularly worrying in the young. There is a trend towards more organised leisure and recreation evidenced by the decline in the number of trips to the countryside in the 2002 day visit survey (due to be published in December 2003). With each generation the confidence and experience to enjoy the freedom and adventure of the outdoors is lost. The chances are that this trend is set to stay and grow unless there is some intervention. Intervention could be justified on the grounds of health (there are few other reasons for state intervention in the choices people make about their leisure activities!) and might take the form of competing more aggressively to attract the young and their families towards countryside recreation activities, perhaps through traditional movements such as the Scouts and Guides and Duke of Edinburgh scheme, but also in other ways which appeal to a wider spectrum of the population. This would be made easier with more activities and attractive quality environments nearer to where people live.
Conflict or competing interests – faster and noisier activities tend to conflict with slower and quieter pursuits. Cyclists and horse-riders are considered to be dangerous by some when they share the same space. Motor recreation (on land and water) and shooting spoil the tranquillity of the countryside experience for others. Solutions to these conflicts may lie in codes of respect and conduct and more tolerance and understand or maybe in restricting some activities or providing for them away from the more tranquil areas. A clearer framework within which to find solutions would help those faced with dealing with the conflicts.
Paying for countryside recreation – are we only concerned with recreation activities which are free? Or is there a case for some activities to come with a price. The reality is that many countryside recreation pursuits are already paid for whether this be through membership of a club, car parking fees, transport, or an actual price to participate. We could collect better market information about what people are prepared to pay for and we could actively compete against other leisure pursuits (eg shopping, cinema). The recent Day Visit Survey is telling us that there has been an increase in day visits for shopping in towns at the same time as a decrease in visits to the countryside. At the same time we need to be responsive to the effects of pricing on under-represented groups. We should not just monitor what is happening (day visits survey) but we should gain a better understanding of the market for countryside recreation.
Place
There is not enough investment in countryside recreation leading, for example, to run down country parks, many public rights of way in poor condition and under-recorded and poor targeting and promotion of information. Open space for recreation is under-valued and often taken for granted. It is rarely protected through planning legislation (unless it has wildlife designations) and is therefore vulnerable to development pressures. Generally, public expectations are not high and existing provision is taken fro granted. If there is no access to open space for recreation, or if public rights of way are neglected, this is rarely challenged except by the user groups. If local (and national) government are to be persuded to invest more, there may need to be more demand from the public.
There have to be reasons to invest in the places used for recreation and these places must feel relevant and important to the public. The reasons to invest could be the overall public benefit in terms of a reduction in the health bill justifying Treasury funding. Alternatively the reasons could be economic – some of the profit gained from visitor spend could be reinvested in managing the open spaces which attracted the visitors (visitor payback/tourism tax scheme perhaps managed through local government charges and then local government funding). Or, at the commercial end of the spectrum, perhaps more organised and priced informal leisure pursuits (such as climbing and canoeing) could compete with other low cost leisure pursuits like swimming, the cinema or consol games.
Wildlife and heritage sites also act as attractions for countryside recreation. Demand for space for informal recreation and the desire to manage places sensitively and in a sustainable way for the environment needs to be addressed in the framework. Informal recreation need not impact negatively on the environment – but there are incidents where, for example, mountain bikers have caused heavy erosion on sensitive upland peat bogs; walkers have disturbed nesting birds, or where canoeists have damaged riverbank vegetation. Parameters about what is sustainable and an acceptable level of impact, need to be better articulated and understood.
Place management needs to take account of the impact of anti-social behaviour such as vandalism, drug abuse and crime associated with open spaces around our towns and cities. The Countryside Agency's countryside around towns programme is exploring solutions to these issues, which will provide useful material for the framework.
Information
31. There is not enough information about where to go, or on what to expect. Lack of information is often cited as the reason why people do not use the countryside or managed greenspace for leisure or recreation (Use and demand for public rights of way, unpublished report commission by the Countryside Agency, 2000). There is plenty of information available from OS maps, Tourist Information Centres, libraries, visitor centres, web sites, if you know where to look for it, and you have the time to access it. The information is not packaged with a focus on the needs of many people and new ways of presenting and promoting it should be explored. The 'one-stop shop' approach could be relevant, perhaps building on the role of Tourist Information Centres and making them Leisure, Tourism and Recreation Information Centres.
Other outlets for information might also be explored. The Walking the Way to Health Initiative has recently combined with ASDA stores in offering guided health walks from supermarkets. With a trend in recent years of shopping centre complexes on the edges of towns perhaps this is a concept which could be developed further by locating information points near to where people shop for groceries, gardening and DIY products.
The world wide web could also more helpfully lead enquirers to better information about countryside recreation with a portal internet site drawing together information on rights of way, other tracks and trails, country parks, woods and beaches, open access land with information on transport, services and facilities and levels of accessibility or difficulty. A National Countryside Access Database could do all of this with sufficient investment. We believe the Countryside Agency should continue to actively pursue this idea in partnership with others.
Information on rights and responsibilities, on safety and risk and also on what to expect (eg other users and landowner and farming concerns) also needs to be improved. The task is not just about getting the right messages but also about how these are promoted. The Agency is currently considering these issues in revising the Country Code.
Time
We make choices about how we spend time and countryside recreation is just one of many options. On the one hand the population age profile is getting older so that more people are retired with more disposable leisure time available to them. On the other hand for many, work or education commitments account for much of their time.
But informal recreation need not take a lot of time. It is not just about Sunday afternoon outings, holidays or weekend breaks. Lots of people already do combine countryside recreation within their daily routines. Many dog owners, for example, find ways of exercising their animals, shopping and taking children to school and enjoying the environment around them - although there is still plenty of scope to improve the safety and quality of routes used by accurately recording rights of way and by extending the network where routes do not already exist. Others fortunate to live near to rights of way or other routes such as Greenways are able to make use of them in their journeys to work, the shops or to public transport. The experience of combining a functional journey with daily exercise in an attractive environment should add up to a quality countryside recreation experience.
For many an annual holiday is the closest they get to countryside recreation. Tourism infrastructure, such as hotels, B&Bs, camping and caravanning all have a role in supporting informal recreation activities. A holiday can provide an important introduction to countryside recreation as it can provide the leisure time people feel is lacking in their daily lives to explore different activities. We need to be conscious of this relationship and find ways of helping people to find these opportunities more often.
Informal recreation activities could be more accessible to people to use during their working day, or at the beginning or end of the day. We should aim to provide a variety of indoor and outdoor activities to participate in close to where they live and/or work. This approach would contribute towards the Government's Game Plan target to increase activity levels.
NCAF are invited to discuss the issues raised, to challenge them, and to offer suggestions for issues which are not considered.
Solutions – thoughts on a way forward
Some potential solutions have been touched on above. A theme throughout the paper has been a softening of the edges between active and informal recreation, and between work and leisure. We believe that joined-up solutions and partnerships between a range of organisations and topic disciplines are required to provide more opportunities for people to enjoy the countryside. The solutions must also combine benefits to the individual and to society. Providing more opportunities for a healthier more active lifestyle should achieve this and justifies public intervention.
We believe that patterns of behaviour need to change to reverse the trend towards sedentary lifestyles. To do this there needs to be a greater emphasis on informal end of the leisure spectrum. Those who would never be tempted to use a gym or swimming pool might be tempted to walk or to participate in other forms of countryside recreation if they had the confidence to explore or if they were tempted by the lure of the outdoor adventure experience. We should focus attention on providing better information that is promoted and targeted at particular audiences.
We believe that multi-activity centres could attract new users and make countryside recreation appealing to more people, especially the young (and their families) from all backgrounds, ability and ethnicity. The centres would be exciting places to be in, with a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities, informal social space and space for organised activities, including health walks. The location of the centres could be along-side edge of town shopping centres and sports centres as well as amongst new housing development and within some existing country parks. Depending on the natural environment available, facilities would be provided for outdoor activities such as mountain biking, climbing and water sports (from fishing to sailing). In some places it might also be appropriate to include facilities for motor sports on land and water with the aim of taking the pressure for recreational motoring off other areas of the countryside. In a pilot we would want to look more closely at the dynamics of this and whether it led to responsible behaviour.
Building on the country park, community forests and gateway to the countryside concept we could test and encourage others to invest in such centres, working in partnership with planning authorities, youth out-reach workers, Sport England regional boards and developers. We would expect to see benefits to society by creating a setting and an introduction to a healthy lifestyle, and by reducing anti-social behaviour amongst young people.
We believe that the rights of way network continues to be the best way of providing routes for recreation. Rights of Way Improvement Plans will identify where route improvements are required to better match the needs of the public and investment will be required to put the plans into practice. The expectation is that funding will come from the Local Transport Plan process but we believe that this will need to be supplemented by other funding streams. The proper recording of rights, along with new or adapted rights of way could create more places for people to walk or cycle away from traffic. We want to see more routes designed on the principals of Greenways (shared-use, multi-purpose, high quality design and maintenance) so that people can combine leisure, recreation and exercise with their journey to school/college, work, or local services.
Next steps
Following discussion by the Agency Board in November we would run a series of meetings with key partners and those with specialist knowledge of countryside recreation issues between December 2003 and June 2004. We would aim to have indicative partner support to delivering a plan by July 2004. We could consider a partner event to confirm commitment to the plan in autumn 2004.
WENDY THOMPSON
October 2003
Annex 1
Countryside Agency recent projects and initiativesAccess to open countryside
Mapping, appeal s and restrictions work along with proposals to run an access incentive scheme. Work previously presented to NCAF in detail.
Canoe access feasibility study
The Agency is currently running a research project to explore the feasibility of establishing voluntary access agreements for canoeists.
Country Code revision
The Agency is currently analysing the results of a consultation on the content of a revised code.
Country Parks renaissance
In 1999 we said we would look at standards for Country parks and we presented evidence to a Select Committee inquiry which emphasised the important role country parks continued to play. We set up the Country Parks Renaissance Advisory Panel and commissioned research on the state of country parks. The research is complete and report available on the Agency web site. Work on standards for country parks, and for establishing a network for country park staff is scheduled to be complete in 2005.
Day Visits Surveys
The Countryside Agency manages a contract which is funded by a consortium of bodies. The 2002/03 survey results are due to be published in December 2003. Plans for the 2004/05 survey have begun.
Discovering Lost Ways
This is an Agency led project set up in response to CROW Act sections 53 to 56 which prescribe a cut-off date of 1 January 2026 for recording certain rights of way created before 1949 on the definitive map. The Agency will establish an Archive Research Unit to trawl through archives, with assistance from volunteers, to identify and record systematically unrecorded routes. The Agency will also establish an independent Rights of Way Claims Trust to convert the findings of the ARU into formal applications (to standards agreed with the appropriate professional bodies) to modify the definitive map.
Diversity Review
A Rural White Paper commitment to review the 'diversity' of visitors to the countryside and to prepare an action plan to increase the representation of people participating in countryside recreation.
Doorstep Greens
The Countryside Agency and the New Opportunities Fund is helping 200 communities to create doorstep greens to improve their quality of life. We are particularly targeting communities who experience disadvantage and where regeneration of the local environment and outdoor recreation provision is sorely needed.
FMD reopening ROW, new FMD contingency plan and Your countryside, You're welcome
All resulting from the Foot and Mouth crisis.
Greenways
The Agency developed the concept of Greenways as primarily car-free routes that connect people to facilities and open spaces in and around towns, cities and the countryside. We ran 6 pilots between 1998 and 2002 and the lessons learned are written up as guidance on the Agency web site.
Good practice guidance for ROW staff
The Countryside Agency has funded the process of collecting material on all aspects of rights of way work to share with all rights of way staff. This good practice was published on a CD Rom in 2000 and is now available on a PROW Good Practice Guide web site. The objective is to extend and improve the advice available by encouraging and challenging rights of way officers to contibute their own examples of good practice.
Guidance on access for disabled peopleThe Agency commissioned research on extending access for disabled people in 1998 and this resulted in two reports 'Paths without prejudice' and 'Sense and accessibility'. These reports suggested a new approach to providing access for disabled people which was based on the premise that disabled people have different needs and expectations, better information was required to allow individuals to determine whether or not a site or routes was accessible, and that all countryside access should be managed to deliver the least restrictive option. The Agency piloted the approaches at 6 sites in 2001 to 2002 and has prepared guidance based on this work.
National Trails
Continued work on developing new trails and the completion of Hadrian's Wall, along with funding of National Trail staff and maintenance work.
Quiet LanesThe Agency set up two pilot projects in Norfolk and Kent to test whether minor rural, roads could be made safer for shared use by walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and motorists. The lanes already had low levels of traffic travelling at low speeds and the aim was to maintain the character of the road by seeking to contain the growth of traffic. The results are available on the Agency web site.
Rights of Way Improvement Plans
The Countryside Agency recommended that all lcal authorities should have a duty to review the adequacy of the rights of way in their area periodically. This was to achieve the objective of providing a more extensive network, particularly for horse-riding and cycling. This led to the new provision in the CROW Act for local highway authorities to prepare rights of way improvement plans. We are working with 9 authorities to prepare plans and to distil and share good practice with other authorities.
