15 September 2025

A new report from the UK Government’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature is a “blueprint for much-needed urgent change”, says The Ramblers.  

Published today, Outdoors For All: Recommendations for Government on Access to Nature provides bold and practical advice to the Government, outlining policy and legislative options to achieve inclusive access for more people.  

The report, which gathered views from over 750 organisations and individuals, highlights that much of England's countryside remains inaccessible, with 20 million people not living within 15 minutes’ walk of green or blue spaces. 

Stephen Russell, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Ramblers, said: “The Government promised to improve access to nature, but ministers have failed to explain how they will deliver change on the ground. This report, with its breadth of recommendations gleamed from a wide range of experts, provides a blueprint for this change.” 

Key recommendations from the report include: 

• Expanding Access: Establish statutory rights to responsible access across a broader range of landscapes, including inland waters, woodlands and other suitable natural environments, and for a broader range of recreational activities, including wild camping, paddling, swimming, cycling, caving and horse riding. 

• Improving Existing Access: Establish an Access to Nature Investment Strategy enabling local highway authorities to apply for resources based on assessed local needs and opportunities aligned with national priorities. Remove barriers like stiles, and simplify footpath upgrades. 

• Planning and Transport: Improve public transport links to and from green and blue spaces, including increased frequency, expanded routes and affordability. 

• Governance, Strategy and Accountability: Publish a long-term Government plan to improve public access to nature, with a clear vision, strategy, legally binding targets, backed by an Access to Nature Investment Strategy to direct funding.  

• Awareness and Education: Overhaul the Countryside Code to promote access and responsible behaviour. Implement a National Ranger Service, and transform the Ordnance Survey App into a free, universal tool. 

The report acknowledges the substantial economic contribution of the outdoor sector, an industry worth £25bn+ and supporting more than 500,000 jobs. It also emphasises the need to balance access with environmental protection and respect for other users and landowners. 

The Ramblers is calling on the UK Government to introduce an ambitious Access to Nature Bill for England, to support the creation of new opportunities to connect with nature, help the public make better use of the existing path network and to establish legally binding targets and investment plans to support public access over the long-term. 

Stephen continued: “We know that helping everyone to go walking in nature is one of the best things politicians can do for improving the health and wellbeing of our nation, while also reducing pressure on the NHS – yet shockingly 1 in 3 adults in England currently lives more than 15 minutes’ walk from green or blue space. The report makes clear that the new access to nature legislation is the only way to overcome the persistent barriers that so many people face to getting outdoors.” 

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC), Paddle UK and The Ramblers, acting as the Secretariat for the APPG, worked together to fund and facilitate the inquiry.  

Read the report in full: ‘The Outdoors For All: Recommendations for Government on Access to Nature’