The Countryside Access Regulations 1994

Regulation 3(c)

SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ACCESS AREA

1.  The beneficiary shall make the access area available for public access at no charge.

2.  The beneficiary shall maintain free passage over the access area.

3.  The beneficiary shall provide and maintain sown grass or naturally regenerated cover over the access area.

4.  The beneficiary shall not erect new fences on, or on land on the boundary of, the access area without the prior written approval of the Minister.

5.  The beneficiary shall keep the access area and any parcel of land on his holding crossed by an access route free of litter and other refuse.

6.  The beneficiary shall exclude bulls from the access area and from any parcel of land on his holding crossed by an access route except in the case of bulls which—

(a) do not exceed the age of ten months; or

(b) are not of a recognised dairy breed and are at large in any field or enclosure in which cows or heifers are also at large.

7.  The beneficiary shall provide and maintain adequate means of entry to the access area.

8.  The beneficiary shall provide and maintain appropriate waymarking, including signposting the means of entry to the access area with signs of a design and standard specified by the Minister.

9.  The beneficiary shall consent to details of the access area being made public by the Minister.

10.  The beneficiary shall not without the Minister’s prior written approval permit any of the following activities on the access area or on any parcel of land on his holding crossed by an access route: camping, caravanning, lighting of fires, carrying of firearms or riding of motor vehicles (except for vehicles used for agricultural operations on the land).

11.  The beneficiary shall ensure that any recreational activities permitted to members of the public in the access area do not hinder public access to that area.

12.  The beneficiary shall mow the whole cover of any access route at least once between 1st October in each year and 31st March in the following year, unless he permits grazing of that cover within the period specified in Article 3(4) of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 762/94, namely 1st September to 14th January inclusive in each year, and shall maintain the cover of each such access route to a maximum height of 15 centimetres over a minimum width of 3 metres from 1st May to 31st October inclusive in each year.

13.  The beneficiary shall mow the whole cover of any open field site at least once between 1st October in each year and 31st March in the following year, unless he permits grazing of that cover within the period specified in Article 3(4) of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 762/94, namely 1st September to 14th January inclusive in each year, and shall maintain the cover of at least half the area of each whole or part field comprising that site to a maximum height of 15 centimetres from 1st May to 31st October inclusive in each year.

14.  The beneficiary shall not permit the riding of horses or cycles in the access area without the prior written consent of the Minister.

15.  The beneficiary may agree with the Minister in writing in advance a specified number of days in any year (but excluding public holidays), up to a maximum to be reasonably determined by the Minister, when the beneficiary may close the access area or any part of it to the public, provided that signs giving notice of the intended closure and the reasons for it are posted at each entry point to the area at least two weeks in advance of the date of closure.

16.  The beneficiary shall maintain minimum public liability insurance cover in relation to the access area and any parcel of land on his holding crossed by an access route of at least £1 million per claim in any one year.