Will reform of the Common Agricultural Policy save England's footpaths?
[15 June 2004]
The Ramblers' Association (RA) is warning that the
reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) offers a golden opportunity to
stop the decline in the condition of the footpath network in England that must
not be thrown away, and argues that public opinion is strongly in favour of
agricultural subsidies bringing direct public benefits.
Under CAP 'cross-compliance' proposals, currently subject to a consultation by
the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, farmers who receive
public subsidies would be expected to comply with existing rights of way
legislation and keep footpaths open. An opinion poll carried out for the RA
found that 91% of people believed that a requirement for receiving public
subsidy should be compliance with rights of way law.
Will agricultural reform improve walking in
England?
The message comes at a time when official Government statistics on the condition of the footpath network show a dramatic increase in the number of problems walkers are likely to encounter. Audit Commission figures on public rights of way in England show a 13% leap nationally in the number of obstructions anyone walking in the countryside can expect to find barring their route, with a massive 35% of rights of way now difficult or impossible to use.
Nick Barrett, Chief Executive of the RA, said, "In our view this will place no extra burden on law abiding farmers who will have nothing to fear from its inclusion in the new Regulations. Indeed, it is difficult to see how arguments can be made against its inclusion since that would imply that law-breaking was being condoned."
"On June 19 we launch Footpaths Week 2004, a national lobbying campaign by the RA's 142,000 members to highlight the importance of footpaths for the rural economy, as community links and for health. This is a real opportunity to eradicate some of the most common obstacles to a walk in the country - missing stiles, bridges and gates, overgrown paths, the ploughing and cropping of paths and other deliberate obstructions."
An independent report commissioned by the RA last year estimates that walkers contribute over £6 billion to the rural economy of England; whereas nearly 60% of people questioned in a recent opinion poll stated they would not return to an area where they had encountered problems walking.