Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (Hansard, 18 November 2004)

§ Lord Whitty

On behalf of the Government, the Countryside Agency has so far spent £36.69 million, consisting of £0.75 million in 1999–2000; £0.92 million in 2000–01; £5.17 million in 2001–02; £8.30 million in 2002–03; £13.25 million in 2003–04 and £8.3 million to date in 2004–05. The agency expects to spend a further £6.7 million in the current financial year. National park authorities have been allocated an additional £4.725 million, consisting of £0.875 million in 2002–03; £2.0 million in 2003–04 and £1.85 million in 2004–05. We have also funded the Planning Inspectorate to deal with appeals against the inclusion of land on provisional maps and restriction appeals of £0.11 million in 2001–02; £0.84 million in 2002–03 and £1.20 million in 2003–04. The Planning Inspectorate expects to spend no more than £2 million in the current financial year. Local authorities have been funded to establish local access forums under Part 5 of the Act.

In addition, the Government have announced funding of £2 million for 2004–05 towards an access management grant scheme to support local authorities in implementing the new right of access.

Essentially, Defra is funding the Countryside Agency, national park authorities and the Planning Inspectorate to implement Part I of the Act throughout the whole of England by the end of 2005. We do not keep information on the cost of implementing the Act on a county-by-county basis.