Yorkshire Water announces unique pilot project aimed at increasing access to land

19/01/2000

Ramblers, horse-riders, cyclists and the disabled are to be given further access to huge tracts of countryside.

Yorkshire Water, in conjunction with the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Office of the Countryside Agency, has announced details of a unique pilot project aimed at identifying the best way of providing and maintaining increased access to its land. The work will include further open access.

The aim of the pilot is to create a planning blueprint which the company can then apply to its landholdings, ensuring it strikes the right balance between its commitment to provide recreational access and the need to protect the environment.

Yorkshire Water currently owns 72,000 hectares of land, making it the largest landowner in the region.

The company's land is predominantly moorland catchment on the eastern flanks of the Pennines, stretching from Sheffield in the south to Skipton in the north.

It spans three National Parks, two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the South Pennines Special Protection Area - all of significant international importance.

Yorkshire Water's Environment and Catchment Manager Miles Foulger said that the company was determined to continue to increase access wherever possible. This involved negotiations with a variety of groups - farmers, owners of sporting rights, local authorities - many with conflicting interests.

He added the new partnership approach to access planning was aimed at overcoming these difficulties by creating a sustainable blueprint which could then be applied across the region.

"The pilot project is focusing on the whole of the South Pennines. We will identify where we need to provide more access to company land, which areas people want increased access to, how they will get there, where they will park and what additional facilities will need to be provided," said Miles.

"For example, a lot of Yorkshire Water's catchments are surrounded by farms and land not under our control. We are looking at ways of involving our neighbours and taking their views and needs into consideration. When we have established the right formula, we will roll it out across the region," he added.

Mr Chris Armitage, Regional Director of the Countryside Agency, said: "This is the first time anyone has produced a comprehensive criteria for increasing access in the South Pennines. This is a major step forward and we are very pleased with the positive response it has received from our partners. Yorkshire Water is showing its commitment to increase access to its land and working with partners to look at all the options."

The £14,000 initiative is being jointly funded by Yorkshire Water and the Countryside Agency and involves working with 15 local authorities that make up SCoSPA, the Standing Conference of South Pennine Authorities.