ALTON Ramblers are backing a national call for access to the countryside and the footpath network to be protected in the Agriculture Bill.

And they want farmers and landowners to play a vital role in maintaining the country’s path network.

Research by The Ramblers Association, the largest walkers’ rights organisation in the UK, has revealed that more than two-thirds of people surveyed had experienced poorly maintained footpaths, and that 85 per cent of adults in England and Wales believe that being able to experience the countryside is important for children’s understanding of the environment and food production.

The findings were part of an online survey commissioned by the walking charity as part of a campaign to highlight the importance of the footpath network and entitled ‘Ramblers Your Path Awaits’.

The results also showed that more than eight-out-of-10 adults believe that visiting the countryside is good for their physical fitness (83%) and mental wellbeing (82%).

But The Ramblers Association is warning that access to the countryside could be under threat unless the government provides for the protection of paths in the upcoming Agriculture Bill.

Expected in the last six months of this year, the Agriculture Bill will detail government plans for farming post-Brexit.

Tompion Platt, Ramblers’ director of advocacy and engagement, said: “Our path network is an amazing resource that gives us the freedom to get out and enjoy our beautiful countryside and the health and wellbeing benefits it brings, as well as enabling children to learn to love and care about the natural environment from an early age.

“From walking to wildlife photography, without well-maintained paths millions of people would miss out on the outdoor activities they love. The Agriculture Bill is a vital opportunity to ensure people can continue to enjoy the countryside via our fantastic path network for generations to come.”

Agriculture accounts for 70 per cent of land use in the UK, including a large proportion of the nation’s paths. However, despite landowners having legal duties to keep paths on their land clear, the survey highlighted existing issues with path maintenance, showing that more than two thirds (69%) of people had experienced problems with footpaths in the countryside, including overgrown paths and blocked gates.

As the UK prepares to leave the EU and the Common Agricultural Policy, the way the country manages its farmland, including footpaths, will change forever.

As such, The Ramblers Association is calling for the principle of public payment for public goods to be at the centre of the Agriculture Bill, with provisions to ensure maintaining access to the countryside is a condition of any payments received by farmers.

Mr Platt said: “We know farmers work hard to make sure their businesses succeed while delivering wider benefits for society and believe they should continue to receive public money. But in return, farmers and other landowners should be expected to meet their existing duties to keep paths on their land clear. We should also remember that countryside visitors can be a boon to rural communities. The path network helps people learn more about the important work undertaken by farmers, benefits tourism and local businesses.”

Of the East Hampshire area, Alton Ramblers chairman Arthur Barlow said: “East Hampshire and Alton has especially a lot of footpaths in a very pretty rural area, and we all must treasure and preserve them in any way we can.

“Alton Ramblers are already active in maintaining the path network with clearing vegetation and installing gates etc… as well as actively using many paths locally with our organised walking group programme.

“We also support the Alton Town Walking Festival with more than 12 walks in the month of May this year. We thereby give the Alton public an opportunity to walk these very paths and hopefully to take up walking on a regular basis. We welcome anyone who fancies walking in the area to try it out with us for free (altonramblers.org.uk). It is great fun and good exercise.”

Referring to the future on a national level, Mr Barlow added: “This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enshrine the preservation of the path network in the proposed Agriculture Bill is one we fully support alongside Ramblers UK.”

The Ramblers Association research also showed that more than three-quarters of adults in England and Wales (79%) visit the countryside for recreational purposes in an average year, with more than a third (40%) visiting more than 10 times a year and more than half of adults in these regions (57%) would like to visit the countryside more often.