Audit report calls for action to encourage people to visit the Welsh countryside more often

Efforts by the Welsh Assembly Government and other bodies to improve access to the countryside have been successful, according to a new Audit Committee report. However, a number of constraints still have to be overcome if more people, particularly from disadvantaged groups, are to be encouraged to visit and use the countryside more often. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act, which came into force in Wales in May 2005, provided a public right of access to open country and increased the proportion of the Welsh countryside to which the public has access to around 21 per cent.  In addition the Assembly Government last year announced a project to improve public access to the Welsh coast. The Audit Committee’s investigation into access to the countryside found that the Assembly Government, the Countryside Council for Wales and local access authorities implemented the new legislation effectively and on time. This was a notable achievement, not least because the early stages of preparation for implementation coincided with the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.   However, the Committee found that some constraints still have to be overcome. For example, local awareness of the benefits of increased countryside access needs to be raised, and the condition of public rights of way needs to be improved. There is also clear evidence that some people in groups at risk of social exclusion (such as disabled people, members of black and minority ethnic communities and residents of Community First areas) visit the countryside considerably less frequently than the rest of the population. The Committee’s report makes a number of recommendations, including better communication with disadvantaged groups to help improve their access. It also recommends the review of local access authorities’ Rights of Way Improvement Plans and robust arrangements to monitor their implementation. Janet Davies AM, Chair of Audit Committee, said: “The implementation of rights-of-way legislation has been successful, and much has been done to improve public access to the countryside. However, there is still work to be done, in particular in ensuring that disadvantaged groups, including disabled people, enjoy equal access with all the health and well-being benefits this brings”