[Diggers350] Fwd: OSS: Govt ignores public access in new farm payment-scheme

Thu Dec 2 23:51:00 GMT 2021

>From: Kate Ashbrook <hq at oss.org.uk>
>
>
>OPEN SPACES SOCIETY
>
>NEWS RELEASE
>
>
>
>GOVERNMENT IGNORES PUBLIC ACCESS IN NEW FARM PAYMENT-SCHEME
>
>The Open Spaces Society is dismayed that the 
>governments new, post-Brexit, environmental 
>land management scheme (ELMS), 
><https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-farming-incentive-how-the-scheme-will-work-in-2022>published 
>today (2 December), fails to offer payments for 
>public access and paths on farmland.  This is 
>despite repeated commitments from ministers, 
>during the passage of the Agriculture Bill and 
>subsequently, that public access is a public 
>good, to be funded through agricultural payments.
>
>The document explains how the new Sustainable 
>Farming Incentive, replacing the Basic Payments Scheme, will operate.
>
>The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and 
>Rural Affairs, in a speech to the Country Land 
>and Business Associations conference 
><https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/environment-secretary-speech-at-cla-conference-2-december-2021>announced 
>that the new scheme needs to have clear policy 
>outcomes, which he then listed.  Public access 
>and enjoyment were not among them.
>
>With other user groups, such as the Ramblers, 
>British Mountaineering Council, British 
>Canoeing, and British Horse Society, the Open 
>Spaces Society has been 
><https://www.oss.org.uk/we-call-for-promotion-of-access-at-heart-of-future-agricultural-support/>calling 
>for the agricultural funding system to pay for 
>new and better public access.  Such access 
>should be by the creation of routes to help 
>walkers, riders, cyclists and carriage drivers 
>to avoid dangerous roads, and to form circular 
>paths with greater opportunities to explore the 
>countryside.  Existing paths and access should 
>also be improved, with cross-field paths left 
>unploughed, green lanes rolled, and rights of 
>way through grassland regularly mown.
>
>The society also argues that any landowner who 
>blocks or abuses a public path should have grant 
>payments withdrawn, with a much more efficient 
>process than under the old regime, thereby 
>deterring law-breaking and helping the 
>hard-pressed highway authorities.  But there is 
>not a word from government about such common-sense enforcement measures.
>
>Government pledged, in its 25-year environment 
>plan of 2018, to make sure that our natural 
>environment can be enjoyed, used by and cared 
>for by everyone.  The environment minister, 
>Victoria Prentis, has subsequently said that 
>ELMS will include payments to ensure those 
>goods can be delivereda point which has been 
>echoed many times in parliament.  Yet todays 
>big announcement on the future of ELMS says not a word about this.
>
>Says Kate Ashbrook, the Open Spaces Societys 
>general secretary: This is a huge, missed 
>opportunity to improve access and meet the 
>targets in the 25-year environment plan, as well 
>as to help with enforcement against 
>path-blocking.  The government has failed 
>lamentably to deliver on its promises.
>
>We shall not give up, and shall keep pressing 
>ministers to listen to all those who want better access to our countryside.
>
>ENDS
>
>Attached photograph: Colwall footpath 28 in 
>Herefordshire.  The Open Spaces Society says 
>that farmers should be rewarded for keeping paths uncultivated.
>
>Notes for editors
>
>1          The Open Spaces Society was founded 
>in 1865 and is Britains oldest national 
>conservation body.  It campaigns to protect 
>common land, village greens, open spaces and 
>public paths, and peoples right to enjoy them.
>
>
>
>_____________________________________________________________
>
>CONTACT:   Kate Ashbrook: 
><mailto:kateashbrook at oss.org.uk>kateashbrook at oss.org.uk
>
>01491 573535 (work),
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