Right to roam review welcomed by campaigners

Campaigners have welcomed calls for a review of the law on where people are allowed to walk in the countryside.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead Rachel Gilmour wrote to the government asking for it to look into the benefits of extending the right to roam.

Supporters said it would improve people's physical and mental health - but farmers have raised concerns about the impact on their land and the environment.

Labour said it wanted to increase access to nature in a responsible fashion and would consider the best way to achieve that.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 sets out the existing space where people are free to roam - but much woodland and farmland is excluded.

Labour said in 2023 that it wanted to extend the current provision - but stepped back from that commitment after farmers raised concerns.

However, in a written question to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, Rachel Gilmour asked "if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the right to roam in England".

Holly Astle, from campaign group Right to Roam Kernow, said just 3% of countryside in Cornwall was currently accessible.

"A lot of that is the moors or south west coastal path - leaving very little access for the rest of Cornwall," she added.

She conceded walkers would have to show responsibility with any extra freedom - but said the current rules penalised them.

"We've got these things called 'access islands' where we're supposedly allowed to access them but they're surrounded by private land. So people can't even get to the places they're allowed to," she explained.

Andrew Williams, from the South West Country, Land, and Business Association which represents the interests of people who own, farm and manage the land, said the group was not opposed to an extension.

He said: "We've got to have a common sense approach that means people can do this responsibly and we don't have to worry about the flora, fauna, and ecosystems.

"We know where the right and the wrong places are to go - so work with us."

In response to Gilmour's question, Nature Minister Mary Creagh insisted: "The government committed in its manifesto to improving responsible access to nature.

"The department is currently assessing the best way to deliver this, and further information will be made available in due course."

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