News Release
For immediate use
Ramblers have welcomed today's announcement by Defence Secretary John Reid of a new Ministry of Defence public access website(1).
Ramblers Scotland Director, Dave Morris said: "We very much welcome this announcement by the Defence Secretary. The new website is excellent. It explains how statutory access rights apply to most Ministry of Defence land in Scotland and also promotes specially attractive walks, as at Castle Law in the Pentlands."
"The MoD have long recognised a presumption in favour of public access to land in the UK, subject to safety and operational needs. Their positive approach towards the new access legislation is in sharp contrast to some other publicly funded organisations, such as Network Rail, who still do not understand how to work with outdoor recreation organisations (2)."
ENDS
Note to Editors:
(1) An updated website, detailing the most attractive walks the MoD has to offer across the UK, has been launched today as part of the new Defence Estate Strategy by Defence Secretary, John Reid. http://www.access.mod.uk
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is one of the largest landowners in the UK with an of 240,000 hectares (1 per cent of the UK land mass).
(2) In the summer of 2003, Network Rail announced its plan to close up to 600 private level crossings in Scotland. It was stated that “unauthorised” use of such crossings would be regarded as criminal trespass, attracting a fine of up to £1,000. This announcement was made without any consultation with local authorities, communities or recreational user organisations. Many of these crossings are important parts of the Scottish path network, some of them existing long before the railway was built. More at: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland/accessN/casestudies/networkrail.html
