What the action involves
This action’s aim is to provide and maintain permissive open access to the public on areas of land. You’ll provide this access free of charge to the public.
The purpose is to deliver benefits for public health and wellbeing.
What you must do
Your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission woodland officer will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.
To get paid for this action, you must:
- allow public access over the agreed area
- create, install and maintain signs and maps at entrance points
- clear areas of high vegetation close to public entry or gate structures
- carry out the necessary number of site inspections to make sure woodland access complies with tree safety – read the Countryside Code advice for land managers on creating a safe environment
- inspect other non-woodland access routes regularly to ensure there are no safety issues and take remedial action where necessary
- keep animals known to pose a risk to the public off open access land
You must not:
- close access for more than 10 days a year
- close access on a public holiday
- let any activities on land within your control interfere with permissive access
- block existing access routes across the holding
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its duration
You should complete all preparatory work and gain the necessary permissions at the start of your agreement unless stated otherwise. You should install any infrastructure within the first year of your agreement or as agreed with your adviser.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence.
You must supply the evidence if they ask for it, including:
- field operations at a parcel level
- associated invoices
- photographs relevant to the action
Where you can do it
You can do this action on most permanent land covers. You’ll need to agree what land can be included with your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission woodland officer.
You cannot do this action on land with existing and equivalent access rights or open access land as defined under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act.
Eligible land
All land use codes are eligible for this action.
Available area
Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.
Rotational or static
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
Consents and permissions
To apply for this action, you may need:
- Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
You may also need to get:
- advice from your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission woodland officer if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land
- a wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).
If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.
Capital grants that support it
You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.
