Highway help for right-to-roam

HIGHWAY authorities will receive extra help to make the most of the new right of public access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act.

The Access Management Grant Scheme, first introduced in March 2004 for one year, is to be extended for two years from next March.

It supports local highway authorities who manage the forthcoming right of access to open country and registered common land under the 2000 Act.

The fund, which is administered by the Countryside Agency, is worth £2 million this year.

It is available to highway authorities to help meet planning costs and covers up to 75% of new infrastructure work agreed with the agency, such as signage, foot bridges and gates.

Funding for the second and third year will be set later this year.

The scheme is currently open to authorities in the lower north west, south east, central southern, upper north west and north east regions.

Access rights are planned to commence in those regions by May 2005.

The extended scheme will now include the whole of England. It will also be modified to deal with access management issues concerning disused mines and quarries.

Rural affairs minister Alun Michael said the scheme had got off to an excellent start, with almost all the eligible authorities participating.

“Local authorities have a crucial role to play managing the new access rights for local communities and for visitors, who make a big contribution to the local economy of rural areas.”

Mr Michael said he wanted to encourage all eligible authorities to make full use of the scheme.

He would be asking the Countryside Agency to look at how it could be enhanced to better deal with access management issues around disused mines and quarries.