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Advantages of improving managed access

Improving access in a managed way can have its advantages. Apart from reducing problems of trespass elsewhere on the landholding it can also provide supplementary income through various agri-environmental schemes and in some cases create commercial opportunities for landowners and businesses as well as build goodwill between landowners and the local community. Some examples of some of these schemes are:

  • Forestry and Woodland schemes – can provide various grants to encourage improvement of Access through new and ancient woodlands for educational, environmental and community benefit.
  • Permissive Path Agreements – Landowners can also enter into short or long term agreements with the local authority to provide access with or without conditions attached. Such agreements are a good way of helping people enjoy the countryside without conferring long term rights and allow the landowner to remain in control of where people walk through their land.
  • Permissive Paths and Concessionary Routes – are paths that are not a right of way but used by permission of the landowner. In this case the landowner is responsible for maintaining the path and may alter the route of the path should they wish. A permissive path may be linked to any of the above schemes or through a formal agreement with the local authority. Notices of conditions should be posted at either end of the route.
  • Toll Rides – this is an alternative to an agreement with the local authority where instead the agreement is with a specific user group. The most common example is with horse riders who may be willing to negotiate an annual fee to use safe toll rides which link to other quiet areas where they can exercise or jump.
  • Path Creation Agreement. Section 25 of the Highways Act 1980. This provides for the provision of a legally recognised path in an agreement with the landowner and local authority or Parish Council. The path will become maintainable at public expense