Strong concern has been expressed by members of NFU Cymru’s Rural Affairs Board at the options outlined in a Welsh Government Green Paper which could see access rights for responsible recreation extended to all land in Wales with just limited exclusions.
At their recent meeting, Rural Affairs Board members from across Wales learned that whilst there is no intention to introduce new legislation on access ahead of the Assembly elections next May, there are a number of aspects under consideration which have the potential to impact on each and every farmer in Wales.
The proposals include removing some of the restrictions on the range of activities that can take place on rights of way and on access land; permitting recreation activities in new areas including extending the definition of access land; as well requiring local authorities to review their network of paths and access areas with a view to amending the network, adding higher rights where appropriate and linking access areas using ‘green corridors’.
Rural Affairs Board Chair, Bernard Llewellyn said, “Welsh Government also invites views on the establishment of an entirely new settlement in Wales which would allow access for responsible recreation to all land. Whilst new legislation would include mechanisms for restricting access on a permanent or temporary basis to, for example, the curtilage of properties and farm buildings, we are concerned by the lack of information provided on safeguards to protect farm businesses and ask what is meant by ‘responsible recreation’ and ask who will be responsible for enforcing this?”
Mr Llewellyn added, “Farmers are rightly concerned about the impact increased access will have on the day-to-day running of their farm businesses. The Welsh countryside is a living, working environment - it is the farmers’ factory floor in fact – and there are risks relating to livestock, machinery, crop spraying activities, that all have to be managed. Increased access will also inevitably mean increased costs to farm businesses across Wales as a result of associated issues such as damage to crops; dog worrying and diseases such as Neospirosis which is carried by dogs and which causes abortion in cattle.
“The fact remains that despite a threefold increase in land accessible by right since devolution the proportion of Welsh residents undertaking outdoor recreation frequently has remained fairly flat at 27% over this period. All the evidence suggests that simply providing access to all land in Wales will not deliver the outcomes Welsh Government desires – it will, however, place unnecessary costs and burden on farmers.”
