Establish more areas where visitors can enjoy the countryside in confidence, particularly on foot, horse or cycle, whilst also benefiting rural businesses.

Open countryside defined and easily accessible

Ramblers in Normanby le Wold
Access: In the East Midlands, rights of way (ROW) are vitally important to enjoying and travelling through the region’s countryside on foot, horse or bicycle. They are also important as a means of making local journeys to shops, schools and work.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 has provided a new freedom of access on foot to open country and registered common land in the East Midlands, the vast majority of which is in the Peak District National Park. Elsewhere in the region, there are few areas of ‘open country’.