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Local Authorities and Sustainable Peatland Management: Current Opportunities and Future Possibilities for Local Approaches
management and maintenance (in conjunction with private landowners where applicable). Local authorities also have a duty to establish and support a Local Access Forum to advise on public access to land and may appoint wardens to assist members of the public on the use of rights of way among other things. In carrying out these functions local authorities must refer to specific duties on safeguarding the natural environment as well as their general duties with respect to biodiversity and ecosystems resilience. Identifying PROWs relevant to access to peatlands and educating Local Access Forums about the importance of access to these areas could be important in contributing to SPM.
Open Access Land
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW) provided a public right of access on foot to areas of mountain, moor, heath, down, and common (referred to as ‘open access land’) for open-air recreation. These rights of public access are particularly significant to access to upland peatlands. NRW has a duty to provide maps of this ‘open access land’ in Wales and where this land falls within a local authority area, the local authority is the ‘access authority’. As an access authority it can appoint wardens to provide advice and assistance but also to ensure the enforcement of exclusions etc. These exclusions can be made for land management purposes and special arrangements can be made for, the avoidance of the risk of fire or to protect the natural or cultural interests of the area. These powers and responsibilities provide a careful balance between support for community engagement and protection of vulnerable habitats and may be particularly important in supporting SPM in upland areas.
Active Travel Routes
The Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 requires local authorities to map and plan for the continuous improvement of active travel routes in areas specified by the Welsh Government. The purpose of these routes is to facilitate ‘active travel’, i.e., walking and cycling to work, school or health/leisure services. However, in some areas especially rural areas and those in the rural fringe, these routes can provide important gateways to peatlands, especially lowland peatlands.
Statutory Duties to Promote, Plan and Report
Well-being of Future Generations (WFG)
Local authorities operate within a wider legal framework for the promotion of wellbeing. Like all public authorities in Wales, local authorities must carry out sustainable development which includes adopting ‘5 ways of working’, or more specifically, thinking long term, prevention, integration, collaboration and the involvement of people. They also have a duty to create well-being objectives in support of seven statutory goals. The earlier section of this report outlines the relevance of SPM to these goals.
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