Countryside and Rights of Way Act

Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 10 July 2001.

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Photo of Mr Andrew Bennett Mr Andrew Bennett Labour, Denton and Reddish

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the timetable for implementing part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, in order to achieve her Public Service Agreement target of opening up public access to mountain, moor, heath and down and registered common land by the end of 2005.

Photo of Alun Michael Alun Michael Minister of State (Rural Affairs), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 requires various regulations to be made before the right of access is brought into force. The table sets out the provisional programme for consultation on proposals for regulations and for bringing the regulations into force in order to meet our Public Service Agreement target. We are firmly committed to the 2005 target although the exact timing of each of the intermediate stages in our programme may depend on responses to the various consultation papers which we shall be issuing. I shall consider the views of respondents carefully before laying regulations before Parliament.

Regulation Section Consultation commended Date regulations in force
Regulations regarding mapping of access land and consultation on draft maps Section 11 March 2001 October 2001
Regulations regarding the establishment of LAFs and the appointment of members Section 94 (Part V) July 2001 December 2001
Regulations regarding issue of provisional maps, appeals, and issue of conclusive maps Section 11 October 2001 April 2002
Regulations regarding dedication of land for access Section 16 October 2001 March 2002
Regulations relating to exclusion or restriction of access under Chapter II, including appeals Section 32 November 2001 May 2002
Regulations on removal or relaxation of restrictions on access land and to exclude access in emergencies Paragraph 7, Schedule 2; Section 31 November 2002 May 2003
Regulations on appeals relating to notices Section 38 February 2003 August 2003
Regulations regarding review of conclusive maps Section 11 February 2004 August 2004
References to public places in existing enactments Section 42 To review before general implementation of right of access

Progress in developing regulations has been delayed by the secondment of staff to undertake vital work in responding to the foot and mouth crisis. I now expect to lay regulations during the summer recess enabling the Countryside Agency to issue the first draft maps of open country and registered common land in November. I shall review the case for giving earlier access to mountain land and registered common land in the light of experience of the first mapping exercises. This would lead to the commencement of certain regulations earlier than the proposed timetable.

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