RIGHT TO ROAM — ROAMERS YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT — A GREEN PAPER BUT WHAT ABOUT ACTION!

Can't see this message? View in browser   A Ministerial meeting, a Declaration, and 10 trespasses Dear Roamers, It’s been a busy few weeks for the campaign. Last week, Right to Roam briefly met Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, as the Government announced it will consult on an Access Green Paper in future. We also recently marked the 25th anniversary of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act being passed, joining a great event up in Hebden Bridge. And our amazing Local Groups completed not just 9 but 10 river trespasses, demanding greater access to England’s waterways. For details on all this and more, read on… Meeting the Environment Secretary and an Access Green Paper Last Monday, in the leafy settings of the Barbican Conservatory in London, we met Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds. After handing her some of our well-designed leaflets, we asked her to introduce new right to roam laws. The occasion was the launch of the Government’s new Environmental Improvement Plan - in which we were pleased to see a commitment to publish a new Access Green Paper, and consult on ways to “strengthen the public's legal rights to access”. That phrase ‘legal rights to access’ is particularly welcome - and we’ll be holding Ministers to those words. The bad news, however, is that the Government is now talking about their Access Green Paper being “published during this Parliament” - which could be anytime up until 2029! Given that officials have been working on a Green Paper for the past six months, with input from the Right to Roam campaign and other access groups, this delay is very frustrating. What this means is we all need to keep building pressure on politicians so that an expansion of access rights gets pushed higher up the political agenda. Huge thanks to all of you who’ve been emailing your MPs - please keep doing so. 25th Anniversary of CRoW November saw the 25th anniversary of the passing of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act, which created the open access land that currently exists in England. A commemorative event was held in Hebden Bridge, organised by Hebden Bridge Walkers Action. Amy-Jane Beer spoke on behalf of Right to Roam, alongside representatives of other access organisations and recreational groups, and access champion MPs Andy MacNae and Phil Brickell. Our talk acknowledged the gains ushered in by CRoW, but highlighted the various limitations and unintended consequences of a legislation that limits access to 8% of England (including Public Rights of Way), and only caters to pedestrian access, with no right to swim, paddle, ride a horse or a bike, camp or forage on open access land, let alone birdwatch, draw, picnic, or take a nap. Furthermore, access under CRoW is a postcode lottery, with inequality baked in. It does nothing to protect us from the scourge of micro-enclosures, as owners exercise their right to sever us from land that we love. Nor does it ensure adequate public information: for too many people, it feels easier and safer not to access the countryside. It is so different in Scotland where a detailed and inclusive access code outlines the principles of responsible access for all. Access islands are a further consequence of CRoW, as is the distance many us have to travel to reach open access land. Rather than extending the map-based approach that creates inequity and complexity, Right to Roam is calling for a ‘rights and rules’-based approach that focuses not so much on where we can go but how. We explained why we campaign so explicitly for rights, rather than more nebulous ‘freedoms’. Simply put, because rights give surety. We will not have equity and connectivity of access in perpetuity without them. At the end of the day, ‘freedom’ is insecure and you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone… At the end of the conference, attendees unanimously approved the ‘Hebden Bridge Declaration’, calling for “ambitious new legislation for access to the land and inland waters of England”, the text of which can be read here. Right to Roam Local Groups complete 9 - no, 10! - river trespasses This past weekend saw the last of our river trespasses organised by our amazing Local Groups network. The past month has seen a grand total of 10 river trespasses take place across England - demanding greater access to our waterways, and pointing out that the Government’s pledge of a mere 9 river walks is inadequate and unworkable. Huge thanks to our Right to Roam Local Groups in Sheffield, Bristol, Suffolk, Kernow, West Yorkshire, Somerset & Wiltshire, West Midlands, Cheshire/North West, Norfolk, and South Devon. For more photos and stories from the trespasses, check out our Instagram account. And a huge thanks also to all of YOU who have been writing to your MPs to say ‘why not give the public access to OUR river?’. Every letter to an MP - especially a personalised message - helps show them that access to nature is a political priority for constituents. We hope to send you one further newsletter this month with a round-up of the year. Until then, happy roaming! Best wishes, Guy, Amy, Holly, and the rest of the Right to Roam team --- We’ve been campaigning for bold new access legislation for five years, and with the help of the generous support of a few hundred subscribers - each donating around £5-£10 a month - we’ve been mostly able to remain untethered to the demands of grant funding and fundraising. If you feel you could become one of our monthly supporters to keep us agile and focused, please head over to our website: www.righttoroam.org.uk/donate For the latest campaign updates, follow us on Instagram & Bluesky To get involved with campaign action, check out our website here. Want to become a Right to Roam supporter? Head here. 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.