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Peak District farmer promotes access to land
LANDOWNERS and ramblers are traditionally at loggerheads, and the "right to roam" has been one of the biggest issues facing the rural community in recent years.
The accepted view is that farmers and other people who own tracts of the countryside are opposed to public access, but Andrew Critchlow wants to help change that.
Mr Critchlow, 43, owns and manages more than a thousand acres of the Peak District, and has been signed up to help promote local access forums across the region.
The forums are intended to include representatives from every group with an interest in the rural environment, from landowners to conservationists and farmers to ramblers.
They were set up after the Countryside and Rights of Way Act was introduced in 2000, but the groups still need more members in rural areas across the region to make them successful.
Mr Critchlow, who farms 150 acres at Shaw Wood, Edale, is uniquely qualified to understand both the landowner and rambler camps, as his grandfather ran a pub which was popular with early hikers.
The Nag's Head in Edale was famous in the 1950s when the "right to roam" movement first began, and Mr Critchlow's grandfather, Fred Herdman, was well known as a guide, mountain rescue team organiser and welcoming publican.
Mr Critchlow, who also works for Business Link, advising farmers and landowners on grants and diversification, said local access forums helped to ensure any conflicts were settled amicably, and allowed landowners and public access campaigners to meet and discuss compromises.
"I have always understood why people want to visit the countryside," said Mr Critchlow, a former chairman of the Derbyshire National Farmers' Union. "But I also know the challenges that can bring to landowners.
"In my grandfather's day people came to escape the grimy cities. These days they want to find solace from the hustle and bustle. It is surprising just how much common ground emerges at the forum once you thrash out the issues.
"We have tackled a whole range of issues, from off-roading to improving rights of way."
Local access forums are independent and were established by the Government to advise bodies like national parks and local councils on managing public access to the land. Although their recommendations are not legally binding, they exert a strong influence on the way these authorities carry out their work.
For details on forums visit www.naturalengland.org.uk or to take part in the Peak District forum contact Mike Rhodes, secretary of the Peak District LAF, on 01629 816289.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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