'Right to Roam' in Wales comes a step closer
[25 February 2005]
Minister Carwyn Jones will be joined by walkers from across
Wales on 1st March, St David’s Day at 9.30am at Caerphilly
Mountain Car Park to celebrate the final stage of the
Countryside and Rights of Way Act passing through the Assembly
and bringing public access on foot to previously restricted
areas of countryside a step closer.
The new access, known as the 'right to roam', will give everyone
a statutory right to walk on areas of mapped open country, some
of our wildest and most beautiful landscapes, and will be
officially open to the walking public across the whole country
on May 28th.
Alex Marshall, Chairman of the Ramblers’ Association in Wales,
welcomed the forthcoming announcement by Carwyn Jones and said:
“Walkers and all who love the countryside have been working for
this legislation since the 1880s when Tom Ellis, MP for
Meirionnydd, first called for securing this important right. The
Ramblers have been campaigning for this for the last 70 years.
“We see this as a significant achievement for the Assembly. We
are pleased to have worked closely with the Assembly on this in
the last few years. Countryside Council for Wales has done a
great job mapping the access land throughout Wales; we support
the accompanying new Countryside Code encouraging everyone to
“respect, protect and enjoy” the countryside. New Ordnance
Survey maps will highlight the access areas from the launch date
of 28 May.”
Alex continued, “ The legislation will bring enormous benefits
to Wales and the rural economy. We already know that walkers
contribute some £548 million to the economy annually. If the
local authorities and business seize the opportunities that this
new access brings for developing walking tourism we can expect
rural communities to benefit even further.
“It is fitting that the final passage of the legislation should
be with the Assembly on St David’s Day. St David lived at a time
when walking was the way to travel and we trust he would have
supported the new rights. He is quoted as saying “l will walk
the path that our fathers have trod before us”.”