Cornish campaigners back calls for greater walking freedom
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".
'Access islands'
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."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Pride of Lionesses, collar-coded pensions and thoughts on the flag
Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments. Further to the story of how England's Jess Carter has been subjected to 'vile' racist abuse and 'online poison' (Metro, Mon), it was so great to see Michelle Agyemang scoring another crucial goal to keep England in the Euros. She is of course just the latest in a long line of non-white players who've made priceless contributions to the England team – the likes of Jess Carter, Lauren James, Alex Scott and countless others. These athletes have been at the heart of our success in women's football and sport in general, which proves an important point: Racism is not only malevolent and sickening, it's also completely irrational and utterly stupid. JWA Caley, London I can see that, from a purely financial perspective, it may well be necessary to raise the pension age as the government is proposing – since birth rates are dropping and people are living longer, which results in a top-heavy population – but, because of the socio-economic variation in life expectancies, I think it would only be fair for retirement age to be graduated according to sector. To illustrate my point: It would be quite unreasonable to expect bricklayers or refuse collectors to work into their 70s, as it is back-breaking work. Blue-collar workers are no less vital to society than their white-collar counterparts, but generally they work much harder physically yet are paid quite a bit less. It would seem entirely reasonable, therefore, for them to be allowed to retire earlier on a full state pension and for this to be subsidised by those in less physically demanding roles, who could continue to work for a few years longer. Of course, a great many people in office-based roles may see this as unfair, and it needs to be acknowledged that working those additional years may make them more prone to stress-associated illnesses and dementia – but there would appear to be little alternative apart from the apparently unthinkable idea that we tax extreme wealth. Julian Self, Wolverton Gary from Essex bemoans you can't wear the Union Jack or the St George cross anymore – stating that people from other nations are able to wear their flags. More Trending When did wearing flags become a thing? I'm 50 and I've rarely ever seen people wearing the flag as clothing attire outside of a sporting event or fancy dress. Certain US citizens who self-identify as patriots do, but then they also overlook that it's against the US Flag Code. Gary should be more angry that there are far-right, racist organisations who have adopted the flags as a symbol, as they are the ones skewing the message for those who are genuinely patriotic. Joe, London A Liberal Democrat peer, Baron Razzall, has been banned from the road for just two weeks after his fourth speeding conviction in less than four years, having cited the 'need to attend parliament' as a mitigation against a longer ban. Surely those administering justice can see through pathetic appeals for leniency. Jonathan Longstaff, East Sussex MORE: 8-Course Pan-Indian brunch for just £35: 10 unmissable Time Out deals MORE: All change in Formula One as Red Bull begin life after Christian Horner and Lewis Hamilton tells Ferrari 'it's crunch time' MORE: The Metro daily cartoon by Guy Venables
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Everyone who is eligible for free bus pass in England as Labour confirms major rule change – and those who will miss out
A petition calling for free bus passes for over-60s in England has now surpassed 101,000 signatures FARE DEAL Everyone who is eligible for free bus pass in England as Labour confirms major rule change – and those who will miss out Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DEMANDS for fairer travel passes for England's over-60s have been growing stronger. And as Labour confirms a major rule change - who will miss out? Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Demands for fairer travel passes for England's over-60s have been growing stronger. Credit: Getty Those eligible for a free bus pass in England Currently, people in England that live outside London, only qualify for free off-peak bus travel once they reach state pension age which is currently 66. But in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, residents enjoy this benefit from the age of 60. In response to a parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat MP Dr Al Pinkerton, Transport Minister Simon Lightwood confirmed that English councils can choose to offer additional local concessions, Such as earlier eligibility for free bus passes — but must fund them themselves reports The Star. Lightwood said: 'The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) costs around £700 million annually. 'Any changes to the statutory obligations… would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme's financial sustainability.' Petition surpasses 101,000 signatures The revelation that councils already have this power has given fresh energy to campaigners. A petition calling for the ENCTS to be expanded nationally to include all over-60s in England — not just those in London — has now surpassed 101,000 signatures. The petition argues the current rules are outdated and unfair. It says: 'As people get older, some over 60s drive less and less. The Selfish Travel Trend Annoying Public Transport Users Everywhere 'We believe we need equality on public transport. "It would mean England had the same provision as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.' What does this mean for you? If you're 60 or over and live in a London borough, you can get free travel on the bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and most National Rail services in London with an Oyster photocard. But if you're aged between 60 and 66 in England and don't live in London the answer as to when you'll be eligible for free bus travel, could depend on where you live. While there's no national plan yet to lower the threshold, your local council can introduce an over-60s scheme. It all comes down to public pressure and local campaigning. With confirmed government backing for local flexibility, some councils could act — if residents persist on having their voices heard.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Gaza: UN and charities say people urgently need more food
Charities are warning that people in Gaza need food straight away. A group of 100 aid agencies, which includes Save The Children and Oxfam, says that people face United Nations (UN) has reported that people have been taken into hospital because they have not had enough and aid agencies say that children and old people are particularly vulnerable to starvation. Israel put in place a blockade of aid deliveries to Gaza. Although the blockade was partly loosened after two months, shortages of food have got worse since Israel started the blockade in March 2025, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was doing it because Hamas was refusing to agree to an American outline of talks for the next stage of the ceasefire. At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu also repeated demands for the return of all Israeli aid agencies and the UN blame Israel for the food UN says that there have been many issues causing the shortage of aid, but they say the main one in recent weeks is that people have been killed at sites controlled by the Israeli military where aid is handed out in Israeli military says that its troops near the aid sites only fire warning shots and do not deliberately shoot at civilians (people not involved in the fighting). The 100 charities say it is time for governments around the world to take "decisive action", meaning they should take strong steps to get food to people in Foreign Ministry said it "categorically rejected" the statement from the 100 aid agencies, meaning that it definitely and very firmly disagreed with what they Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in October 2023, after Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7th October 2023, killing civilians and taking people hostage.
