Access to the Welsh Countryside
- Thread starter Rhys
- Start date
This is just the sort of information I came across time and again when researching my article on caver access for Descent magazine.
The economic benefits of outdoor recreation in Wales is already considerable. The potential is even greater. The restriction on that potential is often cited as a lack of access to the outdoors. Despite the landowners association's protestations I cannot see local government resisting this for long, especially as landowners receive so much public money subsidy already. I think it is only a matter of time before outdoor activities have much greater access to the countryside. I hope that this will include caving across all areas of Wales.
The same benefits are likely to apply to all our caving regions too, there may even be a knock on effect. Many cavers worry about what this will mean for cave conservation. I believe the only answer is in education. Cavers need to be realistic as to what needs to be conserved in our caves and we need to replace nearly all restriction, with education in best practice as the best way of preserving caves for the future cavers to enjoy.
I think greater access is coming, whether we like it or not, and I hope our national and regional bodies will support open access but at the same time embark on a major programme of educating cavers in better practice. Big job :idea: I have them!
The economic benefits of outdoor recreation in Wales is already considerable. The potential is even greater. The restriction on that potential is often cited as a lack of access to the outdoors. Despite the landowners association's protestations I cannot see local government resisting this for long, especially as landowners receive so much public money subsidy already. I think it is only a matter of time before outdoor activities have much greater access to the countryside. I hope that this will include caving across all areas of Wales.
The same benefits are likely to apply to all our caving regions too, there may even be a knock on effect. Many cavers worry about what this will mean for cave conservation. I believe the only answer is in education. Cavers need to be realistic as to what needs to be conserved in our caves and we need to replace nearly all restriction, with education in best practice as the best way of preserving caves for the future cavers to enjoy.
I think greater access is coming, whether we like it or not, and I hope our national and regional bodies will support open access but at the same time embark on a major programme of educating cavers in better practice. Big job :idea: I have them!
bograt
Active member
Badlad said:
Perhaps we should start by enlightening ourselves, the majority of subsidy money comes from Europe for preserving and conserving landscape features and natural habitats.
Procedures need to be followed strictly by the landowners to achieve these aims, having areas open to all & sundry would make it extremely difficult if not impossible to carry out many of these procedures.
Blakethwaite
New member
What are the restrictions out of interest, the BBC report is somewhat vague to say the least? I don't get to visit Wales more than a handful of times a year but I've never been struck by any obvious problems nor does it appear to be causing a dearth of outdoor centres.
bograt said:
Just a quick search reveals that under the Single Payment Scheme Welsh farmers were paid out 250m in 2012.
Across the UK some 1.5 Billion of public money is paid to landowners/farmers each year.
In England, Natural England, give out 400m per year. It is all public money even if it comes from Europe.
Not much point in using public money to preserve and conserve the landscape if the public are not able to visit them. Many of the Higher Stewardship Schemes, for example, operate on 'Access Land' where all members of the public have a right to roam.
graham said:
Sorry Graham - big topic, can't do it justice on here right now. But FYI, I do not propose to undertake any programme of education myself. What I am able to do is offer my time and ideas to assist the relevant body in their efforts to better educate cavers in good practice, conservation and the like.
Hughie
Active member
bograt said:
That's a very good point. Half of my (landlords) farm is within a SSSI - I'm quite sure that Natural England would consider unfettered access to all and sundry may not be such a good idea.
Hopefully "hoehlenforscher" will be along to put the welsh perspective forward.
TheBitterEnd
Well-known member
Hughie said:
Natural England do not necessarily discourage access to SSSIs, in fact they often encourage it. As one example pretty much the whole of Ingleborough is a SSSI (http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/sssi/unitlist.cfm?sssi_id=1001537) and pretty much the whole of the same area is Open Access Land. NE and the YDNPA put a fair amount of effort into improving access and informing people why such areas are special and should be cared for.
