In the North East we are working alongside local highway authorities to ensure the countryside offers everybody opportunities for recreation.

Countyside Recreation for All

© Copyright Natural England
The North East has around 10,000km of footpaths, bridleways and byways. In 2000, a sample survey of classified paths showed that of all English counties, those in the North East were the easiest to follow, however, scored below the national average in terms of the proportion being ‘easy to find’. The Rights of Way network in the North East is not only a significant part of our heritage it is also a major recreational resource and a convenient means of travelling for short journeys in both rural and urban areas for work ot to visit shops and other facilities.

 Recent research carried out on the Economic and Social benefits of Countryside Access Routes in the North East shows that the network helps or could help support significant economic impacts in relation to both tourism and health.

It found that major walking and cycling routes in their own right can typically generate up to £10million of additional visitor spend along their length. It highlights the newly opened Hadrian's Wall National Trail as an example, where more than 400,000 walkers have used the trail since it opened in May 2003, generating £4.5 million in Hadrian's Wall country.

The findings also focus on the important role of local PROW in providing a health asset for local people, and recommends that the existing network be actively promoted to support health improvement. The North East has the poorest health record for diseases associated with a lack of exercise of any region in England. The overall cost is estimated in the range of £110 million to the NHS each year. Output lost due to ill health (as opposed to costs of NHS) is between £90 million and £320 million per annum. See related link for full report

Rights of Way Improvement Plans (ROWIP)
Following the Countryside and Rights Of Way (CROW) Act 2000 every local highway authority, other than those in inner London, is required to publish a ROWIP by 2007.

Natural England is focussing on disseminating the good practice gained from the programme of 9 exempler Rights of Way Improvement Plans, which demonstrate good practice to other Highway Authorities, on how they should assess the extent to which local rights of way meet the present and likely furture needs of the public for exercise, recreation, enjoyment of the area, accessibility to blind or partially sighted persons and others with mobility problems. As part of the demonstrations Northumberland County Council and Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Authorites both looked at 'Use and Demand' and Condition and Accessibility'. See related link

Local Access Fora (LAFs)
The CROW Act also requires local highway and national park authorities to establish LAFs, which will advise on improvement of public access to land for open-air recreation and enjoyment of the area.   Natural England is required to consult LAFs on long-term restrictions on open access land and Highway Authorities are required to consult LAFs as part of the process of drawing up ROWIPs.

Local Access Fora in  the North East:

Northumberland:  Northumberland NPA/CC for whole of Northumberland including the area of North Pennies AONB which lies within Northumberland. 
Chair: Mr Bryan Harwood; Sec Marion Hume, Northumberland Nat Park tel 01434 605555

Durham:  Durham CC for whole of Durham including the area of North Pennies AONB which lies within Durham. Chair: William Salvin; Sec Barry Charleton Durham County Council tel 0191 3833000.

Joint Tees Valley  excl Redcar & Cleveland. Chair: Steve Scoffin; Sec Peter Bell Stockton on Tees Borough Council tel 01642 393939

Redcar & Cleveland:Chair Steve Scoffin; Sec Julia Payne Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council tel 01642 444000

Joint Tyne & Wear:  Chair Lyndsay Perks; Sec Mike Aynsley Gateshead Council tel 0191 4333000