{"id":15189,"date":"2022-04-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=15189"},"modified":"2022-04-25T10:51:40","modified_gmt":"2022-04-25T08:51:40","slug":"countryfile-issues-john-craven-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2022\/04\/06\/countryfile-issues-john-craven-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Countryfile issues: John Craven"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COUNTRYFILE ISSUES<\/span><\/p>\n\n

JOHN CRAVEN<\/h2>\n\n
\n\n

CONTROVERSIAL DEADLINE TO REGISTER PATHS SCRAPPED<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

F<\/span>or generations, farmers and the public have often been at odds over access to the countryside; \u201cget off my land\u201d is a warning which, though something of a caricature, still resonates. Now, a surprise decision by the Government to scrap a controversial deadline for registering many thousands of \u2018forgotten\u2019 rights-of-way is creating new divisions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

While access groups including Cycling UK and the Open Spaces Society welcomed the decision \u2013 Ramblers hailed it as a \u201ccause for celebration\u201d \u2013 to farmers and landowners it was \u201cdeeply damaging\u201d. At the heart of the issue is the definitive map of England and Wales (apart from inner London) that puts on record the footpaths, bridleways and byways that criss-cross the land: if they are on the map, they are legally protected.<\/p>\n\n

But many paths had not been mapped when the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 <\/em>came into force. Some were overgrown, while countless others were still being used yet faced the risk of being closed off. So a deadline was set: if missing ways were still absent from the definitive map by 1 January, 2026, they would be lost forever.<\/p>\n\n

The race was on, with Ramblers alone discovering more than 49,000 miles of potential rights-of-way as part of its \u2018Don\u2019t Lose Your Way\u2019 initiative. Other campaign groups checked for historical evidence of paths but said it was impossible to research them all before the deadline. Plus, they Many historic rights-of-way are missing from maps, but farmers fear mapping these routes may negatively impact livelihoods <\/span>claimed, under-resourced local councils faced a backlog of applications that could take 15 years to process \u2013 with the possibility that a newly found way not added before the deadline could disappear beneath building development.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cRamblers discovered over 49,000 miles of potential rights-of-way\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

On the other side of the fence, the cut-off gave landowners the reassurance that after a quarter of a century of disruption, there would be no further attempts to restore lost rights-of-way across their fields and woods.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

WALKING BACK<\/span><\/h4>\n\n

But last year, Wales cancelled the deadline to allow more time for paths to be identified and added. Recently, Defra suddenly followed suit in England, announcing the decision to a working group of pathway users, landowners, farmers and local authorities, with predictable reactions. \u201cIt\u2019s fantastic that the Government has listened to calls from lovers of the outdoors to scrap this arbitrary deadline, which put unnecessary pressure on volunteers striving to save their historic paths,\u201d said Sophie Gordon of Cycling UK.<\/p>\n\n

Kate Ashbrook of the Open Spaces Society believed a \u201csword of Damocles\u201d had been removed and praised Defra for taking a \u201csensible and pragmatic decision\u201d. But that was not the verdict of NFU\u2019s Sam Durham. He foresaw the system being clogged with more claims, \u201cmany potentially unrealistic and spurious\u201d, which could hang over farm businesses for months. He added: \u201cIt\u2019s disappointing and insensitive for rights-of-way user groups to celebrate a \u2018victory\u2019 when we have all worked together on an issue than can severely impact on a farmer\u2019s mental health and economic security.\u201d The CLA, which represents landowners, joined the NFU in calling on Defra to rethink its decision.<\/p>\n\n

In what some might see as a concession to landowners, the Government plans to introduce a \u2018right to apply\u2019 for those who want to divert or remove rights of-way in certain circumstances \u2013a move which will no doubt be opposed by access campaigners. And so it goes on!<\/p>\n\n

\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Watch John on Countryfile, <\/em>Sunday evenings on BBC One.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Photos: Getty, Sean Malyon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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