Alliance holds parliamentary event on protecting access to the great outdoors

The Sport and Recreation Alliance held a briefing event in the Houses of Parliament in February hosted by Fiona O’Donnell MP, Shadow Minister for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The briefing provided the opportunity for MPs, peers and representatives of relevant national governing bodies to discuss their issues and concerns in advance of DEFRA publishing its review on access legislation.

Fiona chaired the event, joined by four members of the Alliance’s Access Working Group - the Ramblers, the UK cyclists association (CTC), the British Horse Society and the British Mountaineering Council, and the Alliance focused in on three key priorities:

1. Forests and woodlands: Government policy should reflect public opinion by securing the future of the public forest estate and working to improve recreational access opportunities in private woodland.
2. Coastal Access: Government should commit to a timetable for full implementation of the coastal path as set out in the 2009 Act.
3. Review of access legislation: Government should implement the recommendations of Natural England’s 2010 Stepping Forward report in full.

The event was well attended by Parliamentarians including the former DEFRA Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies MP, and current chair of the Environment Agency, Baron Smith of Finsbury - Chris Smith.

The Alliance welcomed the strong consensus that natural environment access should be debated further in the House and is now working with Fiona to table a Westminster Hall Debate to raise the profile of the issue, as well as preparing its response to the imminent DEFRA announcement.

For more information, contact Martin Key.

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