The Campaign
Across England and Wales public paths are being blocked off by local authorities using the legal mechanism of a 'gating order' to put locked gates across paths. Some of these orders are made without local support. Unlocking Neighbourhood Paths wants to give the people who actually use the paths a say in the matter.
Unlocking Neighbourhood Paths is not against gating orders – only those orders which gate paths that provide a public benefit e.g. they lead to a shop, a school, a Doctor's surgery, a park, or provide a safe route away from busy roads.
Our aim is to have a small section of the law changed so that when a member of public objects to a gating order the decision is passed to an independent arbitrator. This should prevent local communities losing useful paths.
Get involved – do you know a local path which has been gated (using a gating order)? Please tell us about it and we'll take these examples to Ministers at Defra and the Home Office to help explain why the law is not working, and show what can be done to improve things. Please help us achieve this.
Contact us: unp@ramblers.org.uk
