Hundreds respond on roam maps


19 December 2001



Hundreds respond on ‘roam’ maps

By FWi staff


THE Countryside Agency received 330 responses in the first month of its consultation on maps showing land affected by right-to-roam legislation.


It also had an estimated three million hits – from 20,000 different users – to its website, an agency spokeswoman has confirmed.


The three-month consultation for walkers and landowners in south-east and north-west England started when maps were published last month.


The maps show the areas consultants believe should be classified as open country and registered common land, and therefore open to walkers.


To give people an opportunity to view the documents, the agency has been hosting a series of regional meetings.


An average of 120 people in the north-west and 60 in the south-east attended each meeting.


Landowners have expressed concern that the maps are riddled with mistakes and parcels of land that should not have been included have been.


The consultation, which ends in February, gives farmers and land managers an opportunity to raise their objections before the map is finalised.


See more