What are the new access rights in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000?
Part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 grants a general right of access to the public to ‘access land’ for the purposes of open-air recreation. The new rights are mainly for access on foot. Other activities, such as camping or horse-riding, are not included under the Act, although they may be permitted under certain circumstances. There will sometimes have to be restrictions on the new access rights for reasons such as land management, public safety, nature and heritage conservation. It is important to understand that there are a lot of preparations to be made before the new rights can come fully into effect. In particular, the Countryside Agency has to map all the open country and registered common land in England. The mapping is a big job and it is important to get it right. We don’t expect the conclusive maps for the whole of England to be finalized before the end of 2005. Where can I see the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000? The full text of the Countryside and
