D
Donkeymad
Guest
I don't know if anyone here saw and/or signed up to a No 10 Petiton. but the response has now been released. Here is the Petition, followed by the response. Terrible.
28 April 2008
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to include access for equestrians in all new access legislation, including the current proposals for access to the English Coast."
Details of Petition:
"Equestrians are the most vulnerable of road users and need increased access, yet they have not been included in recent access-creating legislation, for example, the access given to walkers in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Over 4 million people in the UK ride horses or drive horse-drawn vehicles. The equine industry is the second biggest land-based industry estimated to be worth £4 billion and to employ 150,000 people. The current coastal access proposal should be extended to provide access for all non-motorised users thus allowing mixed family groups to exercise together. This would be consistent with the joint Government/Industry-backed Strategy for the Horse Industry, published in December 2005. Providing access for equestrians and cyclists, as well as walkers, represents better value than just providing access for walkers."
Response
We consulted in June 2007 on a number of options for improving access to the English coast following advice from Natural England. While we asked Natural England to focus on improving access on foot, we were also interested in improving rights for other users such as horse riders and cyclists, and indeed Natural England recommended that as part of the process of aligning a coastal access corridor, opportunities should be considered where rights for other users might be provided at the local level and using existing mechanisms.
We recognise there was support from respondents to the consultation with a specific horse interest for the need for rights for horse riders, where it was practical and where evidence of local demand existed. This was however balanced by those respondents who did not support the need for such rights and who considered that this should be looked at as a separate issue and not reviewed within the context of the proposed new right for coastal access.
We have now issued the draft Marine Bill which includes provisions for improving access on foot to the English coast. The draft Bill does not include provisions for new rights for horse riding but the legislation will not reduce the current level of access to the public rights of way network enjoyed by riders.
28 April 2008
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to include access for equestrians in all new access legislation, including the current proposals for access to the English Coast."
Details of Petition:
"Equestrians are the most vulnerable of road users and need increased access, yet they have not been included in recent access-creating legislation, for example, the access given to walkers in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Over 4 million people in the UK ride horses or drive horse-drawn vehicles. The equine industry is the second biggest land-based industry estimated to be worth £4 billion and to employ 150,000 people. The current coastal access proposal should be extended to provide access for all non-motorised users thus allowing mixed family groups to exercise together. This would be consistent with the joint Government/Industry-backed Strategy for the Horse Industry, published in December 2005. Providing access for equestrians and cyclists, as well as walkers, represents better value than just providing access for walkers."
Response
We consulted in June 2007 on a number of options for improving access to the English coast following advice from Natural England. While we asked Natural England to focus on improving access on foot, we were also interested in improving rights for other users such as horse riders and cyclists, and indeed Natural England recommended that as part of the process of aligning a coastal access corridor, opportunities should be considered where rights for other users might be provided at the local level and using existing mechanisms.
We recognise there was support from respondents to the consultation with a specific horse interest for the need for rights for horse riders, where it was practical and where evidence of local demand existed. This was however balanced by those respondents who did not support the need for such rights and who considered that this should be looked at as a separate issue and not reviewed within the context of the proposed new right for coastal access.
We have now issued the draft Marine Bill which includes provisions for improving access on foot to the English coast. The draft Bill does not include provisions for new rights for horse riding but the legislation will not reduce the current level of access to the public rights of way network enjoyed by riders.