Roam maps will be fair

11 January 2001



Roam maps ‘will be fair’

By Isabel Davies

MAPPING of land affected by the right-to-roam legislation will be a fair and careful process, the Countryside Agency has pledged.

Work has started on the maps which will show ramblers where they have a right to walk as a result of the Countryside and Rights of Way act.

A Countryside Agency statement said a contract had been signed with a firm of environmental consultants who will carry out the mapping work.

The firm, Binnie Black and Veatch, must identify areas of open country and common land and consult to see if there is any opposition.

Any appeals to this process will have to be heard and resolved before people will have the right to use their new access rights.

The Countryside Agency forecasts that this will be in 2003. But the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has predicted that it could take until at least 2005.

Richard Wakeford, Countryside Agency chief executive said: “We are determined to produce these maps using a careful, fair and open process.”

The mapping will provide certainty to everyone involved about their rights and responsibilities, he added.