FROM RIGHT TO ROAM — WE COULD FIND OUT WHO OWNS BRITAIN — WATCH THEIR SITE

Can't see this message? View in browser   Who Owns England? We're about to find out Dear Roamers, Spring has arrived with a flurry of news. So without further ado, let’s get into it. —Land Registry data to become open access —73% of England’s woods are off-limits —Local group action to reconnect with ancient trees —Our Land: playing at a cinema near you? Victory: Land Registry data to become open access The long-awaited Land Use Framework has been launched by the government, with the aim of providing a more strategic, joined-up approach to balancing competing demands for land. Within it were contained a number of interesting details for land and nature campaigners. But one of the more immediately significant was the announcement that the government would “work with HM Land Registry this year to provide access to free, spatial land ownership data for larger properties covering the vast majority of England and Wales”. That had Right to Roam’s co-founder, Guy Shrubsole, on a victory lap, as he has personally campaigned for this for a decade. Guy attended the launch of the Framework and has written his reflections on the commitment here. Land ownership in England and Wales has long been shrouded in secrecy, with investigations only able to reveal a partial picture. That lack of transparency has stymied democratic accountability and made landscape scale projects - from nature restoration to access infrastructure - harder to deliver. While the Framework had little to say about public access, the mechanisms it has established could serve as a powerful lever in future. And the newfound boldness at DEFRA to assert democratic interests over land can only be a cause for optimism... 73% of England’s woods are off-limits This month we’re highlighting the 73% of England’s woodland that is off limits to the public, while a third of the trees listed on the Ancient Tree Inventory are inaccessible (a note that although the Inventory is hosted by the Woodland Trust, all of the Trust's own woodlands are fully open to the public). You can see our story in the Guardian last week here. The extent of exclusion has major implications for public health, with access to woodland specifically associated with reductions in mental distress and boosts to physiological wellbeing. Recent research by UCL and Imperial College also suggest proximity to woodland can be a significant factor in young people’s cognitive development, as well as reducing the risk of emotional and behavioural problems. Ancient trees often have important culture and heritage value, with folk stories developing around particular trees, such as the Jack O’Kent Oak. While there can be legitimate reasons to exclude some woodland from access, the current level of inaccessibility has little to do with ecology and much to do with history. We continue to campaign for an end to such arbitrary exclusion. Local Groups Plan Month of Action To highlight these issues, our local groups are undertaking actions around the country in the coming few weeks; reconnecting with inaccessible ancient trees and recording others they find. Actions are being planned in Bristol, North-east, Suffolk, West-Mids & Leicestershire, Norwich, Kernow, West Yorkshire, Wilts/Somerset, Dorset, South Devon and the North West. Want to get involved? Find your local group contact on our website here. Will your local cinema screen Our Land? We recently announced the launch of a feature film called Our Land, which profiles the Right to Roam campaign and explores the land debate across the UK. So far it has had a brilliant reception at festivals around the country, with sell-out screenings and engaged audiences attending Q&As. The film will formally begin its preview tour in mid-April before a national release from May 8th. We’d love as many cinemas around the country as possible to screen the film. So it’d be great if you could share the trailer with your local cinema and scope their interest in holding a screening! If they are, they can contact the distributors directly via this link. The current list of preview screenings is available here, with most tickets already on sale (and some selling out already!). More soon. But for now a hearty spring blessing from all of us at the Right to Roam team. Many thanks for your continued support. Jon ---------- Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. Want to get involved? Visit our website here. We're a people-powered campaign which only exists because of our supporters. Can you help keep us going? Donate here. 73% of woodland in England is off-limits (Credit: Nick Hayes) Take Action Visit our social accounts Check out our site   This email was sent from this site. If you no longer wish to receive this email, change your email preferences here.