Why the right to roam is important

The current Conservative-led government is proposing, this autumn, to bring in new legislation that would make trespass a criminal offence, as opposed to a civil one in most cases (exceptions include the railway, for example). This follows on from when squatting in residential buildings was made a criminal offence in 2012, when it was previously a civil offence.

This would not only breach the human rights of travelling communities (including Roma and Irish Travellers) but would also jeopardise the right to demonstrate, the right to enjoy the countryside, and severely hamper our access to nature given that only 8.5% of UK land is publicly owned; conversely nearly half of UK land is owned by aristocrats or corporations, amounting to just 25,000 landowners. Even most homeowners own very little land at all.

People need to be able to have access to nature, especially since one in eight UK households have no garden or access to one; these households are concentrated in major cities. Scotland has a right to roam but this is more limited in England and Wales, and almost nonexistent in Northern Ireland in practice.

The right to roam allows access to public or privately owned land for camping, exercise, hiking and walking as long as those accessing it do not disturb wildlife or nature. With high levels of obesity (15% of UK adults are obese on conservative estimates), and the COVID-19 crisis hitting hardest in metropolitan areas, access to the countryside is vital for everyone. The right to roam will also help people acquire a long-term respect for nature, and ensure healthier, longer lives.

The limited right to roam, as specified in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, needs to be extended to the extent it exists in Scotland and in the majority of Northern Europe. 




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