Agenda item
Members' Reports
Minutes:
Ben Seal
Paddle UK and others have been looking at the new legislation for National Parks set out in December 2024
The cut off date for submitting DMMOs had been extended to 2031 and will require primary legislation to repeal it. Nine new river walks are proposed in England, with a pilot walk planned for 2025, and will use existing routes and contribute to Nature Recovery. Ben has taken Derbyshire MPs out paddling to promote access to water. A joint letter has gone to Baroness Hayman, Minister for Access and Bio Security, to support a river walk for the Derwent Valley, with no response as yet. There is no process to input to the plans currently. Ben offered to submit a letter on behalf of the Peak District LAF in support of a Derwent Valley river walk.
Access to Nature is on the agenda for MPs and there will be a future consultation on the Right to Roam to create a greater ability to enjoy the outdoors. The PD LAF should consider what view to take on new access rights in regard to pressure points, opportunities and resources, and pressure on National Parks to manage it. An all party committee is being created to consider outdoor recreation.
The Water Commission is looking for radical reform of the water sector, with a Water Bill due for summer 2026, which will give the opportunity to include legislation for access to water.
Summary of Discussion
The river walks should be a resource for all users, not just people on foot. King Charles III is aiming to give access to coastal areas including cliffs and beaches. A joint stakeholder response on access should be formed. Local Access Forum groups could work more closely together on this, especially with other National Park Forums.
There is a 154 mile walk through Stoke-on-Trent which connects communities with the River Trent, through £190k of funding. A code of practice requires water companies to produce an annual report. There is a requirement for partners, including water companies, to further National Park purposes, but it’s not clear who will monitor this.