Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to fulfil commitment 87 in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 to reduce physical barriers to accessing green and blue spaces.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to reducing physical and intangible barriers to accessing nature and ensuring everyone lives within a 15-minute walk of a green or blue space.
As set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), progress towards meeting these commitments is being made through work happening across government to both increase available natural space and make it more accessible. For example, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government's National Planning Policy Framework reform and Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework.
Actions being delivered by Defra include: the launch of the Wainwright Coast to Coast route and the King Charles III England Coast Path, creating nine new National River Walks, establishing three new National Forests, and publishing an Access to Nature Green Paper to explore further opportunities to enhance and expand access to green and blue spaces. Defra is also strengthening legislation to give National Parks and National Landscapes a clear mandate to widen the public’s access to nature by the end of this Parliament and publishing further details on supporting access to woodlands in a new Trees Action Plan.
Progress on delivery of the EIP will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what legislation they will use to deliver their commitment, as set out in the Environmental Impact Plan 2025, to repeal the deadline for recording historic rights of way.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government remains committed to repealing the cut-off date for recording historic rights of way. This will save hundreds of miles of unregistered historic rights of way from the threat of extinguishment in 2031, ensuring that they can continue to be enjoyed by the public for years to come.
Defra is reviewing the rights of way reform programme alongside wider policies to improve access to nature for all users and, as part of that work, are considering the most appropriate legislative vehicle to deliver this commitment. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend the Highways Act 1980 to give local highway authorities the powers they need to install more accessible structures on public rights of way.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government recognises the importance of access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing. Public rights of way are a treasured national asset and play a vital role in enabling access to the countryside.
This Government recognises that physical barriers on public rights of way can limit access, particularly for disabled people, older people and those with reduced mobility. While there are currently no plans to amend the Highways Act 1980, officials will continue to keep the issue under consideration as part of wider work on improving access to the public rights of way network.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the review of maps in England required under section 9A of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 is completed by the deadline of 1 January 2031.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department is working with Natural England to prepare for the review of the conclusive maps of open access land required under section 9A of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
Planning for this work is ongoing, including consideration of the arrangements needed to meet the statutory deadline of 1 January 2031. Further details will be announced in due course.