External Affairs / Policy / Consultations Consultations
Access review consultation paper
8
July 2002
Dear Consultee
ERDP AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEMES - ACCESS REVIEW CONSULTATION
PAPER
In keeping with the Government's wider policies on access to the countryside, DEFRA is committed to encouraging permissive access to farmland under the Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Schemes (the 'agri-environment schemes'), which operate as part of the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP).
In line with this commitment, we are conducting a full review of the access currently provided to ensure that it is better targeted and hence better reflects demand. The outcome of this review will feed into the wider review of agri-environment schemes in England, which is also currently underway (see letter from Geoff Radley, DEFRA, of 10 May), and which in turn will feed into the mid-term evaluation of the ERDP.
To start off the access review, I initially sought views from organisations directly involved with the provision of access. In the light of comments from these organisations, and subsequent meetings, we have now prepared the attached consultation document, which explores the issues we need to address under the review and which seeks your views on a number of important questions. I am circulating this document as widely as possible to ensure that all those with an interest, direct or indirect, have an opportunity to comment.
This consultation exercise is running in parallel with the completion of research commissioned by the Countryside Agency and co-sponsored by DEFRA to inform the development of incentives for creating access links and positive management of 'open country' and registered common land in relation to the implementation of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (the CRoW Act).
It would be helpful if your responses could address the following five main areas in relation to the Countryside Stewardship Scheme:
*Objectives - a possible new objective relating to links with CRoW land and how this might be reflected in the application assessment process.
* Targeting - the need for a more consistent and consultative approach, which more closely links the access we provide with demand and complements other types of access provided such as that from the rights of way network and that under the CRoW Act.
* Publicity and promotion - the need for a more creative and effective marketing and publicity strategy.
* Educational access - how this could be improved and whether other incentives might be appropriate.
* Payment structure and rates - possible changes to the payment structure to help deliver the different types of access more effectively.
The position on access within the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) Scheme is different, and uptake of the available aid has been low. Broadly, ESAs are in well-known areas of the country and this situation tends to attract many visitors to these areas. Other Government bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations also support extensive public access in these areas, creating a different need for public access via the ESA Scheme. As a consequence, access is currently not a key objective of the Scheme and is not actively promoted by DEFRA in some ESAs. We are seeking your views about the need to enhance the access provisions within the ESA Scheme.
To help you do this, the consultation document attached expands on each of these areas and seeks your views on related strategic questions.
I would be grateful if responses could be sent to the following address:
Mrs Lesley Taylor
Countryside Stewardship Branch
Conservation Management Division
DEFRA Area 4C, Ergon House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Tel: 020 7238 5467
Or e-mail to lesley.a.taylor@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
Electronic copies of responses, ideally in Word 6 or RTF format, would be especially helpful.
Responses are requested by Friday 27 September. If you would like to comment, but cannot meet this deadline, please let Lesley know. We may still be able to take account of a limited number of comments received after this date.
This consultation letter is available online at http://www.defra.gov.uk. In line with DEFRA's policy on openness, at the end of the consultation period, copies of responses received will be made publicly available online or through the main Departmental Library at 3 Whitehall Place (West Block), London SW1A 2HH. We will assume that your response can be made available to the public unless you clearly indicate that you wish all or part of it to be excluded.
The Departmental Library will supply copies of responses on request from personal callers or telephone enquiries through the DEFRA Helpline on 08459 335577. It would be appreciated if personal callers gave the Library at least 24 hours notice of their requirements. An administrative charge will be made to cover photocopying and postage costs.
A full list of consultees is given at Annex 2
to the consultation document.
Yours sincerely
DR ANN M DAVIES
Countryside Stewardship Branch
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
REVIEW OF ACCESS IN AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEMES
SUMMARY
In the context of this review of the permissive access which is currently provided
under the Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA)
Schemes we would welcome your views on the following ten key questions:
Access objectives (paragraphs 19-21)
Q1. Are the proposed updated objectives for Countryside
Stewardship, which include a new objective relating to links with
CRoW land, about right?
Targeting (paragraphs 22-23)
Q2. How can the Countryside Stewardship consultation process be improved to
ensure that access objectives, which reflect local needs, are included in county
target statements?
Site selection and agreement appraisal (paragraphs 24-28)
Q3. Is the proposed addition to the selection criteria about right, or do they
need further adjustment to reflect the relationship between access provided
by agri-environment schemes and access land designated under the CRoW Act?
Q4. Is the scoring system about right or does it need to change to reflect
the objectives and site selection criteria more closely?
Q5. Have we got the balance right between access-only and multi-objective agreements?
Publicising agri-environment access (paragraphs 29-30)
Q6. Can you suggest appropriate local and national access publicity channels
that DEFRA might link up with to secure better publicity for its sites?
Educational access (paragraphs 31-32)
Q7. How could we improve the effectiveness of Countryside Stewardship educational
access to better reflect local and national needs?
Q8. What other incentives might be offered to support educational access?
Payment structures and rates (paragraph 33)
Q9. Could the payment structure be improved to help deliver the different types
of access more effectively?
Access in ESAs (paragraph 34)
Q10. In the light of what is proposed for Countryside Stewardship, is there
scope for enhancing the access provisions within the ESA Scheme?
REVIEW OF ACCESS IN AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEMES
WHY HAVE A REVIEW AND WHAT SHOULD IT COVER?
1. In 1999 the Government decided that permissive access on farmland should
continue to be offered as part of the agri-environment schemes (Countryside
Stewardship and ESAs) to be operated under the EC Rural Development Regulation
1257/1999. At the same time, it was decided that there would be a full review
of access under agri-environment schemes in the context of the Government's
broader access policies for the countryside, and in the light of the findings
of an economic evaluation of agri-environment schemes (Garrod et al., 1998).
2. The findings of this review will feed into the current wider review of agri-environment
schemes and the mid-term evaluation of the England Rural Development Programme
(ERDP). The agri-environment review is considering more fundamental policy
issues, such as the balance between the current objectives within agri-environment
schemes. This review will therefore focus on how access is currently provided
within Countryside Stewardship and ESAs in England and how it may be better
targeted and hence better reflect demand. Our proposed changes should however
provide a basis for any agri-environment scheme access that is agreed in the
future.
3. We have excluded from our considerations the implementation of access to
land designated as open country and registered common land under the Countryside
and Rights of Way Act 2000 (the CRoW Act), since this may be subject to separate
Government proposals. This is consistent with our current agri-environment
access policy in that access options under these schemes have not been available
on land likely to be designated as 'open country' and registered common land
since the announcement of the intention to introduce the Act. The recommendations
on closer liaison with local authorities and local access forums should however
provide sufficient flexibility within Countryside Stewardship to deal with
any appropriate CRoW issues in the future.
4. This consultation exercise is running in parallel with research commissioned
by the Countryside Agency and co-sponsored by DEFRA to inform the development
of incentives for creating access links and positive management of 'open country'
and registered common land in relation to the implementation of the CRoW Act.
ACCESS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
The rights of way network
5. The CA's 'State of the Countryside 2001' report estimates that there are
some 120,000 miles (189,000km) of rights of way in England in addition to the
many public open spaces (e.g. country parks, access provided under legislation
such as The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, the Inheritance
Tax Act 1984, the Highways Act 1980; the Heritage Lottery and New Opportunities
Funds; various forestry grants and dedication of woodlands). Implementation
of the CRoW Act will open up over a million more hectares of land to the public
for quiet enjoyment.
Access provided under agri-environment schemes
6. Incentives for permissive access have been paid in England under the Countryside
Stewardship Scheme since 1991 and under the ESA Scheme since 1994. Payments
for new access are made by the metre for linear access or hectare for open
access and, in the case of Countryside Stewardship, include an annual flat
rate payment irrespective of quantity of access provided. In addition, both
schemes provide capital grants for access furniture such as stiles, etc. Under
both schemes, the access provided is guaranteed for the duration of the agreement.
A summary of the payment rates offered by both schemes is given in Annex 1.
Payments linked to set-aside land were also available under the Countryside
Access Scheme (previously the experimental Countryside Premium Scheme), which
was set up in 1995 but is now closed to new applicants.
7. Countryside Stewardship also offers annual payments for educational access
to agreement holders who are required to arrange at least six visits a year
by educational groups such as local schools and colleges. Sites are expected
to have a particular educational interest and be suitable for field studies.
Agreement holders are required to produce guidance for teachers on the environmental
value of the land, how it is managed and the opportunities for educational
use, for which they receive an additional payment.
AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEME OBJECTIVES
8. The Countryside Stewardship objective to "improve opportunities for
countryside enjoyment" is one of six broad scheme objectives to sustain,
improve and create environmental diversity and people's enjoyment of it. Applications
may be made for any land with valuable environmental features outside the ESA
Scheme areas. Applications are assessed using a scoring system that gives points
for each objective met - landscape beauty and diversity, preserving historical
features, restoring neglected land, creating new habitats and landscapes, improving
access for enjoyment and improving or extending wildlife habitats. Applications
which score a higher number of points are more likely to be successful so multi-objective
agreements are common and, therefore, access is usually provided in combination
with other land management options. This approach ensures that the range of
environmental features on the holding is addressed and consequently access-only
agreements are rare. Where access is included, it will often give the public
the opportunity to see conservation work being carried out on the farm.
9. ESAs have no scheme level objectives for the provision of new access, but
a public access tier is available at the ESA level. Since access is offered
as a complementary option for land under agreement it always occurs in combination
with other environmental land management.
TARGETING AND PROMOTION
10. Access in Countryside Stewardship is targeted using county target statements
that reflect the national and regional environmental priorities of the ERDP.
These targets are refined annually through consultation with interested bodies
including local highways agencies and other local authority representatives,
such as countryside management projects.
11. All access sites have a basic level of promotion and publicity. Sites are
identified by map boards at entry points and way-marked. The sites are also
added to a database which is used to produce 'Conservation Walks' Registers
of agri-environment access available in each county. These Registers are sent
to over 1,600 interested organisations, including libraries, tourist information
centres, local authority countryside and highways departments, parish councils,
the Ramblers' Association and the Country Land and Business Association. The
database is also accessible via a dedicated 'Conservation Walks' website (www.countrywalks.org.uk).
In addition, there are examples of collaboration between DEFRA and local partner
organisations to produce leaflets promoting access to agri-environment sites
as part of local access information.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Countryside Stewardship
12. As of year 2000, there were around 1,500 agreements with one or more access
components, which is approximately 13% of all Countryside Stewardship agreements.
These agreements provide around 14,000 ha of open access and around 800 miles
of permissive footpaths (equivalent to 0.7% of all footpaths and bridleways
in the English rights of way network). These figures include provision of educational
access and access routes for people with mobility problems.
13. There has been a fairly steady uptake of educational access within Stewardship.
However, the numbers of new agreements that include educational access have
declined slightly in the last couple of years to the point where around 5%
of all agreements now offer educational access. Agreement holders are finding
it more difficult to meet the requirements of educational access (particularly
the requirement to attract six visits per year) and DEFRA regularly receive
requests to have this option removed from agreements. There may be several
reasons for this. Curry and Short (1998) cite poor publicity and teaching material
as being important factors. However, other research carried out by Groundwork
UK (2002) into barriers to farm visits has highlighted factors such as health
and safety concerns, budgetary constraints within schools and costs to farmers
(e.g. public liability insurance).
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
14. Access has never been a strong component of the ESA Scheme and six of the
22 ESAs do not have any access agreements. In year 2000, of the 10,915 ESA
agreements in England, only 76 (0.7%) had access as a component and, of these,
16 (21% of all ESA access agreements) were in the Lake District ESA.
Countryside Access Scheme (CAS)
15. Overall, CAS uptake was considerably lower than had been envisaged (a total
of 141 agreements providing 1,711 ha of access) and the decision was therefore
taken to close the scheme to new applicants from July 1999. There were several
reasons for the poor uptake including farmer attitude to the access-only scheme,
a perception that the payment rate was too low and the link to set-aside. As
each five-year agreement comes to an end, agreement holders are given the opportunity
to apply for the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
MONITORING OF AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEME ACCESS
16. Several Government-funded studies of agri-environment scheme access have
been carried out over the past 10 years. Two of these relate only to Countryside
Stewardship: a visitor survey carried out by Jigsaw Marketing (1995) and an
evaluation of educational access undertaken by Curry and Short (1998). In addition
to these, an economic evaluation of the access options within Countryside Stewardship
and ESAs has also been carried out (Garrod et al., 1998). The findings of these
and other studies (e.g. the Ramblers' Association (1993) and (1999)) are being
considered as part of the review.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CROW ACT 2000
17. The CRoW Act will provide opportunities for access over large tracts of
open countryside hitherto inaccessible. However, open country and registered
common land will only be available to those on foot (e.g. the needs of cyclists,
horse riders or people with mobility problems will not be addressed by the
CRoW Act Part I) and in addition large areas of enclosed countryside may remain
inaccessible. Agri-environment access could provide an important means of linking
the access provided by the existing rights of way network and any new access
provided by the CRoW Act. Local authorities' recreation and access strategies
(RAS) and local highway authorities' rights of way improvement plans (RoWIP)
might provide a means by which these schemes can feed into local access needs
in a more strategic way and provide better value for money. Local access forums
will provide advice on the implementation of RAS and RWIP and access to open
country. Local access forums, as well as local and highway authorities, will
wish to consider the future role of agri-environment schemes in relation to
their work.
SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE REVIEW
Introduction
18. The aim of this review is to consider the current agri-environment scheme''
access objectives and options in light of scheme evaluations and the introduction
of the CRoW Act. It is also our aim to clarify site selection and assessment
criteria and develop a more focused targeting and promotion strategy that reflects
those objectives. In addition, we wish to improve the effectiveness of educational
access. The first nine questions below consider the access option in Countryside
Stewardship while the final question considers ESAs.
Countryside Stewardship access objectives
19. Access to land is an important way to enable people to enjoy existing landscapes
or features in addition to any improvements brought about by Stewardship.
20. The current objectives for new access in Countryside Stewardship are to:
- create linear routes to make new circular walks or rides or new links in
the existing rights of way network;
- provide open access to new parts of the countryside such as viewpoints, picnic
sites and land around settlements;
- improve opportunities for people with mobility problems; and
- offer opportunities for educational visits in the countryside.
21. In the light of the implementation of the CRoW Act we suggest that the
following additional objective is included:
- where there is a demand, enhance new access provided by the CRoW Act by creating
links from the existing rights of way network to islands of 'open country'
and registered commons.
Q1. Are the proposed updated objectives for Countryside Stewardship, which
include a new objective relating to links with CRoW land, about right?
Targeting agri-environment access
22. For Countryside Stewardship, the current targeting process identifies regional
priorities for expenditure. Although the resulting statements set out detailed
targets for priority habitats and landscape features, there are few specific
targets for access.
23. DEFRA will continue to consult local highways agencies and other local
authority representatives as part of the Countryside Stewardship targeting
process until local access forums are in place. When the forums are in place
they will become lead consultees for access targeting. As part of this review
we would like to work with consultees to develop a process to improve the quality
of the targeting statements in relation to access.
Q2. How can the Countryside Stewardship consultation process be improved to
ensure that access objectives, which reflect local needs, are included in county
target statements?
Site selection and application appraisal
24. Judgements about the type of new access that Countryside Stewardship might
accept are guided by broad national selection criteria. These indicate that
payment for new access may be justified where the site has particular qualities
such as:
- an area of low rights of way provision but likely high demand
- fine views that are otherwise inaccessible to the public
- links or extensions to footpath/bridleway network
- a particular wildlife or scenic interest such as a riverside walk or herb
rich meadow
- a varied or historic terrain
- a feeling of wilderness
- containing suitable features for a particular activity, which has a demand
but no supply in the immediate vicinity
- taking pressure off a heavily used site nearby
- providing new, safer, off-road riding or walking routes
- where lack of existing facilities and evidence of a latent demand in the
area merits the provision of a circular walk/ride, even though the above qualities
may not be present.
25. In the light of the implementation of the CRoW Act, we suggest that an
additional criterion is included:
- providing links to complement new access to 'open country' and registered
commons which will be provided by the CRoW Act.
Q3. Is the proposed addition to the selection criteria about right, or do they
need further adjustment to reflect the relationship between access provided
by agri-environment schemes and access land designated under the CRoW Act?
26. The application appraisal system for Countryside Stewardship is based on
the four objectives of historical features, landscape, public access and wildlife.
For each objective, there is one score for 'existing value' and one for 'enhancement'.
In addition, points can be scored for applications being in the target areas,
meeting other priority criteria, or for other aspects such as comprehensiveness
of the application, relationship to other ERDP schemes, organic management,
furthering community forests, etc.
27. Within an application, access is currently scored as follows:
- applications will not be awarded points where there is no existing access
to the site (including if an existing right of way runs directly adjacent)
and none is proposed, or if there is some existing access but no new access
is proposed, despite there being clear potential for more;
- one point is scored where there is limited existing access but no real potential
for new access or proposals for new access are insufficient to make the best
use of the site or new access is inappropriate;
- two points are scored where there is sufficient existing access (including
other forms of permissive access and land covered by proposals for 'open country'
under the CRoW Act) and the site is well used;
- three points are scored by proposals with clear evidence that new access
will lead to increased use of the site relative to the land in question.
Q4. Is the scoring system about right or does it need to change to reflect
the objectives and site selection criteria more closely?
28. Countryside Stewardship agreements are usually multi-objective agreements
but they can focus on a single objective, where it can be justified. Access-only
agreements can therefore be offered under Stewardship, but they are rare. For
example, they might be offered where other environmental restoration works
are being funded through another source but where Stewardship is the only way
of funding nationally or regionally important access.
Q5. Have we got the balance right between access-only and multi-objective agreements?
Publicising agri-environment access
29. One measure of value for money for new access is the amount of use a site
receives. However, site use in most, if not all, cases will depend on appropriate
publicity. DEFRA believes that publicity for agri-environment access currently
lacks focus. Current publicity for both Countryside Stewardship and ESAs comprises
map boards and way-marks at each site, a 'Conservation Walks' database linked
to the DEFRA website and 'Conservation Walks' Registers, which are distributed
to a wide range of local information points (paragraph 11).
30. It is important to recognise that different sites will require different
levels of publicity. For example, it can be strongly argued that new access
which is provided to meet a specific local need will require little publicity
beyond raising local awareness and ensuring that the route is easy to follow.
Alternatively, new access to a restored feature, picnic site or viewpoint might
warrant more wide-ranging, and possibly proactive, publicity.
Q6. Can you suggest appropriate local and national access publicity channels
that DEFRA might link up with to secure better publicity for its sites?
Educational access
31. Countryside Stewardship supports a high proportion of the country's farms
that are open for educational visits. Proposals are accepted where there is
clear evidence that there is strong local demand, such as letters from schools,
colleges, etc. However, agreement holders are finding it increasingly difficult
to attract the minimum number of visits each year (paragraph 13). It is DEFRA's
intention to utilise the comprehensive supporting information available through
organisations such as Farming & Countryside Education, the Access to Farms
Partnership (ATF), the National Farmers' Union and the Health and Safety Executive
as part of our renewed commitment to provide better support to Countryside
Stewardship agreement holders. (We intend to pursue this aspect separately,
so that current agreement holders and 2002 scheme applicants can be provided
with the necessary guidance without having to await the outcome of the review.)
32. As a member of ATF, DEFRA is committed to supporting the provision of educational
access that meets local and national needs. As part of this review we are exploring
possible ways to link Countryside Stewardship educational access with existing
initiatives, to help support agreement holders. For example, the National Park
Authorities have expressed a wish to work with us to make better use of agri-environment
educational access sites in and around national parks.
Q7. How could we improve the effectiveness of Countryside Stewardship educational
access to better reflect local and national needs?
Q8. What other incentives might be offered to support educational access?
Payment structures and rates
33. As part of this review, DEFRA will be re-visiting access payment rates.
For this purpose we would welcome your views on the structure of the present
payment rates. Countryside Stewardship has a differentiated structure of annual
payments comprising a base payment (for site organisation and visitor management)
together with payments per hectare or metre of access provision (for path and
site maintenance). The full range of annual and capital payments is shown at
Annex 1.
Q9. Could the payment structure be improved to help deliver the different types
of access more effectively?
Access options in ESAs
34. There are several differences between the access options in Countryside
Stewardship and ESAs:
· Access objectives for ESAs are similar but have a stronger focus on sites that
are close to settlements.
· Access in ESAs is not actively promoted by DEFRA in some ESAs and there has
been very limited uptake. ESAs do not have an equivalent to county target statements.
· While there are a number of open farms within ESAs, the Scheme offers no equivalent
to Countryside Stewardship's educational access option.
· All ESAs have the same single access payment rate (£170/ha). (Further access
aid is supported by conservation plans, which provide 80% of the cost of installing
access furniture.)
Q10. In the light of what is proposed for Countryside Stewardship, is there
scope for enhancing the access provisions within the ESA Scheme?
CLOSING DATE AND ADDRESS FOR COMMENTS
35. The closing date for comments is 27 September
2002.
Your response should be sent to Mrs Lesley Taylor, Countryside Stewardship
Branch, Conservation Management Division, DEFRA, Area 4C, Ergon House, 17 Smith
Square, London SW1P 3JR (Tel: 020 7238 5467), or you can e-mail to lesley.taylor@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
Electronic copies of responses, ideally in Word 6 or RTF format, would be especially
helpful.
We will assume that your response can be made available to the public unless
you clearly indicate that you wish all or part of it to be excluded.
Countryside Stewardship Branch
Conservation Management Division, DEFRA
8 July 2002
REFERENCES
Countryside Agency (2001). State of the Countryside 2001: The National Report..
Countryside Agency, John Gower House, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
Curry, N. and Short, C. (1998) Monitoring and Evaluation of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme: Topic Report on Educational Access Agreements. Report by ADAS Consulting Ltd., Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education and Centre for Ecology and Hydrology to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. MAFF, London.
Garrod, G., Willis, K., Raley, M. and Rudden, M. (1998). Economic evaluation of access provisions in the MAFF agri-environment schemes. Final Report to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Groundwork UK (2002). Farm Link. Connecting Children with the Countryside. Groundwork UK, Birmingham.
Jigsaw Marketing Services (1995). Countryside Stewardship sites visitor survey. Unpublished report by Jigsaw Marketing Services to the Countryside Commission. Ramblers' Association (1995). Countryside Stewardship: Public Access Sites. The Ramblers' Association, London.
Ramblers' Association (1999). Countryside Access Schemes in Northumberland and Cumbria: updates and recommendations for the future. The Ramblers' Association, London.
Annex 1
AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEMES ACCESS PAYMENT RATES
Open access* £150 /year +£35/ha
Footpaths* £150/year + 15p/m
Horse riding and cycling* £150/year + 30p/m
For people with disabilities* £150/year + 30p/m
Educational* £500/year
Public access** £170/ha
Structures (one-off payment):
Bridle gate £100
Kissing gate £130
Kissing gate for disabled £200
Stile £30
Ladder stile £55 (£40 in ESAs)
Stone wall step-over stile £20
Stonewall step-through stile £30
Footbridge £125
Bench* £30
Hard standing* £5/m2
Hard surface for disabled* £7.50/m2
*Countryside Stewardship Scheme only
**ESA Scheme only
Annex 2
LIST OF CONSULTEES
Access To Farms
Advantage West Midlands
Agricultural Development and Advisory Service
Allerton Research & Educational Trust
Askham Bryan College
Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers
Association of National Park Authorities
Berkshire College of Agriculture
Bicton College of Agriculture
Bishop Burton College
Black Environment Network
Blackdown Hills Rural Partnership
Bodmin Moor Hill Farming Committee
Bowland Initiative
Brecon Beacons National Park Authority
Brinsbury College
British Association for Shooting and Conservation
British Deer Farmers Association
British Ecological Society
British Horse Society
British Waterways
Broads Authority
Brooksby College
Broomfield College
Butterfly Conservation
Cannington College
Capel Manor College
Central Council of Physical Recreation
Chartered Institution of Water and Environment Management
College of West Anglia
Community Forest Secretariat
Cornwall Commoners' Association
Council for British Archaeology
Council for National Parks
Council for the Protection of Rural England
Country Land and Business Association
Countryside Agency
Countryside Alliance
Countryside Council of Wales
Countryside Foundation for Education
Cumbria Farm link
Cumbria Upland Management Working Group
Dartmoor Commoners Council
Dartmoor National Park Authority
De Montfort University Lincoln School of Agriculture and Horticulture
Department for Education and Skills
Department for Transport
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland
Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)
Devon County Council
Disability Rights Commission
Duchy College Earth Science Teachers' Association
East Midlands Development Agency
East of England Development Agency
Easton College
Ecologist, Conservation & Design
Environmental Services
English Heritage
English Nature
English Tourist Board
Environment Agency
Essex County Council Heritage Conservation
Exmoor National Park Authority
Farm Care - Co-operatives Group CWS LTD
Farmed Environment Company
Farmers Link
Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group
Farming and Countryside Education
Federation of Rural Community Councils
Fieldfare Trust
Forestry Commission
Forestry Contracting Association Ltd
Forum of People with Disabilities
Foundation For Outdoor Adventure
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Lake District
Game Conservancy Trust
Geological Society
Geologist's Association
Gloucestershire County Council (Environment)
Gloucestershire Rural Issues Task Forces
Government Office for London
Government Office for North West and Merseyside
Government Office for South East
Government Office for South West
Government Office for the East Midlands
Government Office for the Eastern Region
Government Office for the North East
Government Office for West Midlands
Government Office for Yorkshire and Humber
Groundwork UK
Hadlow College
Hampshire County Council
Harper Adams University College
Hartpury College
Health and Safety Executive
Heritage Coast Forum
Hertfordshire County Council
Highways Agency Hill Farming Initiative
Historic Farm Buildings Group
Historic Houses Association
Holme Lacy College
Houghall College
Institute of Ecological and Environmental Management
Institute of European Environmental Policy
Institute of Field Archaeologists
Institute of Fisheries Management
Institute of Public Rights of Way Officers
Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Kent Countryside Forum (Kent County Council)
Kingston Maurward College
Kirkley Hall College
Lackham College
Lake District National Park Authority
Landscape Institute
Lantra National Training Organisation
Life ECOnet Project
Linking Environment and Farming
Local Government Association
Marshall Agroecology Limited
Merrist Wood College
Moorland Association
Moulton College
Myerscough college
National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department
National Association of Farms For Schools Organisation
National Association of Principal Agricultural Education Officers
National Countryside Access Forum
National Disability Council
National Farmers Union
National Federation of Women's Institutes
National Federation of Young Farmers' Club
National Forest Company
National Housewives' Association
National Sheep Association
National Trust
Natural Environment Research Council
New Forest Committee
Newton Rigg Campus/ University of Central Lancashire
Norfolk County Council
North of England Assembly of Local Authorities
North West Development Agency
North York Moors
National Park Authority
Northern Uplands Moorland Regeneration Project
Northumberland County Council
Northumberland National Park Authority
Nottingham Trent University
Oaklands College
One North East
Open Spaces Society
Organic Farmers and Growers Ltd
Organic Food Federation
Otley College
Peak District National Park Authority
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
Pershore and Hindlip College
Phab England
Plumpton Agricultural College
Ramblers' Association
Reaseheath college
Rodbaston college
Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural Society of England
Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Rural Agricultural & Allied Workers (TGWU)
Rycotewood College
Salmon and Trout Association
SCOPE
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
Silsoe College
Small Farms' Association
Small Woods' Association Ltd.
Snowdonia National Park Authority
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Soil Association
Somerset County Council
Somerset Levels and Moors Partnership
South East England Development Agency
South West of England Regional Development Agency
Sparsholt College Hampshire
Sport England
Suffolk Coast & Heaths
Suffolk Wildlife Trust
Surfers Against Sewage
Sussex Downs Conservation Board
Sustain
Tenant Farmers' Association
The Wildlife Trusts
Walford College
Warwickshire College
Watling Chase Community Forest
West Oxfordshire College
West Sussex County Council
West Sussex County Council
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
Wildlife & Countryside Link
Womens Food and Farming Union
Woodlands Trust
Worcestershire County Council
World Wide Fund for Nature UK
Writtle College
Wye College
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Yorkshire Forward
Requests for Copy of Consultation/ Further Suggested
Consultees:
Cornwall County Council
Hartley Library, University of Southampton
Action for Blind People
Royal National Institution of the Blind