Breadcrumbs
Latest on mapping for new access rights – 22 August 2002
This revision to the timetable will not affect the 2005 completion date for getting all new rights of access in place, or the publication date of the draft map for central southern England, which will be published on 3 September 2002.
Roger Ward, acting head of access at the Countryside Agency, said: “To our knowledge this is the largest and most detailed mapping exercise of this nature anywhere in the world. Our three step approach to producing the most accurate maps possible allows us to constantly review the work we have done and to learn from it.
“Our latest review has found that we need to revise our original ambitious timetable. In real terms this means we will still publish a draft map for central southern England in early September as planned, but we will now be delaying publication of the provisional map for the lower north west and the draft map for the upper north west. Both these maps will be published before Christmas.
“While we regret these delays we feel that they are necessary to ensure that every one of the 6,000 comments made on the draft map for the lower north west is fully considered and to allow us to complete more than 1,000 site visits in the area to check the situation on the ground. We want to ensure that all possible lessons can be learnt from this before we publish the draft map for the upper north west.”
The review has also revealed that there are 20 errors on the provisional map for the south east, which was published at the end of July. The 20 errors on the south east provisional map affect under a square mile of land out of nearly 4,000 square miles which make up the south east.
Roger Ward continued: “While the amount of land involved is relatively small, we are striving to ensure that our maps are as accurate as possible and treat any errors seriously. We have withdrawn the south east provisional map today (22 August) and we will reissue it with the errors corrected shortly. This means that the three month period in which any one with a legal interest in the land can make an appeal on the provisional map will begin again when the map is reissued. We are also writing to all members of the public involved with these errors and to everyone who commented on the draft map to alert them to the new appeals period. We have pinpointed how the inaccuracies got on to the map and as a result have improved our checking systems.
“Once the draft map for central southern England is published on Tuesday 3 September we will be running a series of road shows locally at which the public will be able to see the draft map and our staff will be on hand to answer any questions people may have about it. People will be able to see the draft map on our website - www.countryside.gov.uk/access/mapping - and from 9 September it will be available in some local authority offices and libraries across the area, as well as by appointment at Countryside Agency offices. Parish councils will also be supplied with a map of their area.”
If people want to find out the nearest place to have a look at a copy of a map, or have other questions about the mapping, they should call the access mapping help line on 0845 100 3298. Further information is also available on the Countryside Agency website. From today the website will carry a revised timetable (as below). One month before publication of a map the exact publication date will be shown on the website and will be widely publicised.
Notes to editors:
For further information please contact the Countryside Agency press office on 020 7340 2909/6 or out of hours on 07973 942 892.
Open country is mountain, moor, heath or down land.
Central southern England covers South Gloucestershire, Bristol, part of Somerset (excluding West Somerset and Taunton Deane), Wiltshire, Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The Countryside Agency is charged with identifying on maps registered common land and open country across England under the Countryside & Rights of Way Act 2000. The Act creates a new right for walkers to walk across this land once conclusive maps have been published by the Countryside Agency and the new rights invoked by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. So these access rights are not currently in force. The Countryside Agency has divided England in to eight areas and is mapping these sequentially through the following steps:
- publish a draft map of registered common land and open country - this is subject to three months of public consultation;
- publish a provisional map of registered common land and open country which may include changes made in light of comments received on the draft map - people with a legal interest in the land included on the provisional map have a right to appeal against their land being included and have three months from the publication of the provisional map to do so;
- publish a conclusive map of registered common land and open country which includes changes made in the light of the outcome of appeals.
The lower north west covers Lancashire (excluding a small area north of the A65), a small part of Cumbria south of the A65, part of North Yorkshire (including Craven), part of West Yorkshire (including Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees), Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, parts of Staffordshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire in the Peak District National Park,as well as parts of north west Derbyshire that border the National Park.
The upper north west covers covers part of Cumbria (excluding an area around Carlisle north of the A595/A69 and a small area south of the A65), part of Northumberland (south of the A69), part of County Durham (including Teesdale, Wear Valley and Derwentside), part of North Yorkshire (including Harrogate, Richmond and the part of Craven district that is within the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park) and a small part of Lancashire north of the A65
The south east covers Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex and outer London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton.
People with a legal interest in the land - such as land owners, tenants and holders of common rights, sporting rights or a licence or agreement - have three months from the date of reissue of the south east provisional map to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, who are acting on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if they think land shown as registered common land or open country has been incorrectly identified on the provisional map. An appeal must be made, electronically or on paper, on a form obtained from the Planning Inspectorate via its website - www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/access - or by writing to Access Team, Planning Inspectorate, Room 215, Regus House, 1 Friary, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6EA. For more information phone 0117 344 5680 or email: access@pins.gsi.gov.uk
Timetable
Area Draft map issue date
South east Autumn 2001
Lower north west Autumn 2001
Central southern England Autumn 2002
Upper north west Winter 2002
North east Winter 2002/03
South west Spring 2003
West Summer 2003
East Autumn 2003
The Countryside Agency is responsible for advising government and taking action on issues affecting the economic, social and environmental well being of the English countryside.
