Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to protect public rights of access where tree planting, funded by Government grants, takes place on open access land.

The UK Forestry Standard clearly states that existing rights of access must be respected and not obstructed. In England and Wales, responsible access must be allowed on mapped access land, including woodland dedicated under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, unless a Direction is in place to restrict or exclude access. All government supported planting, such as under our England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) and Countryside Stewardship Scheme, must comply with these requirements.

Our Woodland Creation Partnerships will maintain existing public access on land that is planted and explore ways to enhance access provision. Additionally, we are working with land managers to promote access provision within their woodland plantations, for example via voluntary EWCO access grants.

Through the England Trees Action Plan, we are committed to ensuring the provision of safe and appropriate public access as a feature of as many woodlands as possible and to work with landowners and woodland users to develop and implement a plan to improve the quantity, quality, and permanency of public access to new and existing woodlands.