Certain activities are not included in the new rights. They do not entitle you to ride a horse, a bicycle or use any other mechanical transport; camp, hang-glide or paraglide, use a metal detector; take part in organised games or commercial activities; swim, use boats or windsurfers in non tidal rivers or lakes; or remove anything from the area including stones, fallen wood or plants. However, existing rights such as riding a horse on a public bridleway are not affected, nor are any registered rights of common.
When exercising your new rights, you are required to keep your dog on a lead between 1st March and 31st July, and at all times in the vicinity of livestock.
Access land is also subject to certain national restrictions which aply under Schedule 2 of the act. You can see the full list of these in the list below. On some specified areas of land, some of the national restrictions may have been removed or relaxed, but unless you are clearly informed of this, assume that the new rights are subject to these restricitons.
In some places you may also encounter local restrictions on the new rights. They may take the form of a complete suspension of the rights for a specified period, or they may involve lesser restrictions such as a ban on taking dogs, or a requirement to enter the land at particular points or to follow specific routes.
Local restrictions are shown on the map by a red wash. To find out more about a particular restriction shown on the map, scroll down and look at the list of restrictions on the right hand side of the screen. You can see more information about a particular restriction and the precise area it covers by clicking on the word 'Details' next to that restriction.
Local restrictions are usually imposed on one of these grounds:
·Land management needs
·Public safety, eg during dangerous operations
·Fire prevention, during exceptional weather or ground conditions
·Protection of sensitive wildlife or heritage features
·Defence or national security needs
Any local signs about restrictions will usually explain the reasons. It is important to watch out for such signs because these maps cannot always show details of short notice local restrictions.
Note:
Restrictions under the CROW Act only affect CROW access land. Even on CROW Access land, they do not affect public rights of way or any other existing access rights or arrangements.
Footnote
Schedule 2
General restrictions
1. Section 2(1) does not entitle a person to be on any land if, in or on that land, he-
(a) drives or rides any vehicle other than an invalid carriage as defined by section 20(2) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970,
(b) uses a vessel or sailboard on any non-tidal water,
(c) has with him any animal other than a dog,
(d) commits any criminal offence,
(e) lights or tends a fire or does any act which is likely to cause a fire,
(f) intentionally or recklessly takes, kills, injures or disturbs any animal, bird or fish,
(g) intentionally or recklessly takes, damages or destroys any eggs or nests,
(h) feeds any livestock,
(i) bathes in any non-tidal water,
(j) engages in any operations of or connected with hunting, shooting, fishing, trapping, snaring, taking or destroying of animals, birds or fish or has with him any engine, instrument or apparatus used for hunting, shooting, fishing, trapping, snaring, taking or destroying animals, birds or fish,
(k) uses or has with him any metal detector,
(l) intentionally removes, damages or destroys any plant, shrub, tree or root or any part of a plant, shrub, tree or root,
(m) obstructs the flow of any drain or watercourse, or opens, shuts or otherwise interferes with any sluice-gate or other apparatus,
(n) without reasonable excuse, interferes with any fence, barrier or other device designed to prevent accidents to people or to enclose livestock,
(o) neglects to shut any gate or to fasten it where any means of doing so is provided, except where it is reasonable to assume that a gate is intended to be left open,
(p) affixes or writes any advertisement, bill, placard or notice,
(q) in relation to any lawful activity which persons are engaging in or are about to engage in on that or adjoining land, does anything which is intended by him to have the effect-
(i) of intimidating those persons so as to deter them or any of them from engaging in that activity,
(ii) of obstructing that activity, or
(iii) of disrupting that activity,
(r) without reasonable excuse, does anything which (whether or not intended by him to have the effect mentioned in paragraph
(q) disturbs, annoys or obstructs any persons engaged in a lawful activity on the land,
(s) engages in any organised games, or in camping, hang-gliding or para-gliding, or
(t) engages in any activity which is organised or undertaken (whether by him or another) for any commercial purpose.
2.
(1) In paragraph 1(k), "metal detector" means any device designed or adapted for detecting or locating any metal or mineral in the ground.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph 1(q) and (r), activity on any occasion on the part of a person or persons on land is "lawful" if he or they may engage in the activity on the land on that occasion without committing an offence or trespassing on the land.
3. Regulations may amend paragraphs 1 and 2.
4. During the period beginning with 1st March and ending with 31st July in each year, section 2(1) does not entitle a person to be on any land if he takes, or allows to enter or remain, any dog which is not on a short lead.
5. Whatever the time of year, section 2(1) does not entitle a person to be on any land if he takes, or allows to enter or remain, any dog which is not on a short lead and which is in the vicinity of livestock.
6. In paragraphs 4 and 5, "short lead" means a lead of fixed length and of not more than two metres.
Removal or relaxation of restrictions
7. - (1) The relevant authority may by direction, with the consent of the owner of any land, remove or relax any of the restrictions imposed by paragraphs 1, 4 and 5 in relation to that land, either indefinitely or during a specified period.
(2) In sub-paragraph (1), the reference to a specified period includes references-
(a)to a specified period in every calendar year, or
(b) to a period which is to be determined by the owner of the land in accordance with the direction and notified by him to the relevant authority in accordance with regulations.
(3) Regulations may make provision as to-
(a)the giving or revocation of directions under this paragraph,
(b) the variation of any direction given under this paragraph by a subsequent direction so given,
(c) the giving or revocation of consent for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), and
(d) the steps to be taken by the relevant authority or the owner for informing the public about any direction under this paragraph or its revocation.
(4) In this paragraph-
"the relevant authority" has the meaning given by section 21;
"owner", in relation to any land which is subject to a farm business tenancy within the meaning of the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 or a tenancy to which the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 applies, means the tenant under that tenancy.
Dedicated land
8. In relation to land to which a dedication under section 16 relates (whether or not it would be access land apart from the dedication), the provisions of this Schedule have effect subject to the terms of the dedication.