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A deadline for registering historic rights of way is to be scrapped after a warning that the looming cutoff date could result in the loss of thousands of miles of footpaths.
The last government set a deadline of 2031 for all rights of way in England to be added to an official map, after abandoning a previous commitment to scrap the policy.
Once recorded as rights of way and added to the definitive map, paths are protected under the law for people to use.
In an announcement timed to mark the traditional Boxing Day stroll by many people, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced it would remove the registration deadline.
Campaigners, who are trying to protect 40,000 miles of paths which are missing from the official map, hailed the move as a “fantastic step.” Landowners condemned it as the latest attack on farmers.
A backlog of thousands of requests, some dating back to the 1980s, meant that many attempts to register paths and bridleways on the map in time for the 2031 deadline were likely to be missed by cash-strapped councils.
Some of these paths, which are well-used by walkers, cyclists and equestrians, date back hundreds or even thousands of years, but are not officially recorded or protected.
The Conservative government had pledged to repeal a deadline for registering the paths, but instead imposed a new deadline of 2031.
The new government has now said it will repeal this new deadline when parliamentary time allowed. Defra acknowledged that local authorities have struggled under the burden of recording historic rights of way before the 2031 cut-off date.
Baroness Hayman, a Defra minister in charge of access, said: “These well-trodden routes, many of which have been in place for hundreds of years, are a part of our shared heritage and it is critical that we bring forward these measures to protect their long-term future.”
Ross Maloney, the chief executive of the Ramblers, said: “The government’s decision to end the threat to thousands of miles of historic rights of way in England is a fantastic step forward in making sure everyone can enjoy the benefits of walking in nature.
“Not only are these paths an integral part of our shared heritage, but they will also have a critical role to play in the future by helping people live healthier, happier lives.”
The Country Land and Business Association condemned the removal of the deadline as a backward step.
Its deputy president, Gavin Lane, said: “Campaigners have had decades to record rights of way, and the decision to scrap the 2031 cut-off date has been made without engaging with those who will be affected, inflicting significant uncertainty on farmers and land managers.”
“The vast majority of landowners are keen to promote responsible access, and work in collaboration with Defra and campaigning groups to ensure people can continue to experience the benefits of the countryside in decades to come.”
Lane said that the countryside already had “an enormous amount of public access”, with 140,000 miles of footpath and 3.5 million acres of public access land in England and Wales alone.
A Local Government Association said registering rights of way were important decisions that required investigation and proper funding.
A spokesperson said: “Competing financial pressures and inadequate funding left limited resources available for councils to process applications for rights of way and a backlog of cases has grown, which made the 2031 target a tall order unlikely to be met.”
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