Plans to relax regulations on pollution for new housing developments have been widely condemned by environmental groups who have accused the Government of backtracking on its commitments to clean up the UK’s rivers.Current restrictions prevent deve.
Isabelle Walker
A canal path
- Credit: The Ramblers
Walking charity The Ramblers have urged London’s next mayor to create six new walking routes across London.
The proposals included the Forgotten Rivers route, which reveals rivers around Hampstead Heath that have been obscured by years of development.
The Ramblers has published a manifesto and is calling for all London mayoral candidates to prioritise green spaces.
While full details of proposed routes have not been mapped, the charity plans to work with the next mayor to finalise them.
The Ramblers London Greenways map
- Credit: The Ramblers
The Forgotten Rivers route would follow the Silk Stream north of Hampstead Heath, linking with the London LOOP at High Barnet, exploring the greener outskirts of London, past St Pancras Old Church and alongside the Regents Canal and across the Capital Ring, through Brent Cross.
BBC News
Published
image copyrightOlly Harrison
image captionFarmer Olly Harrison said walkers had strayed far from the paths into one of his fields
Crops are being damaged nationwide by lockdown walkers avoiding mud, a rural business organisation has said.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said an influx of people walking over planted crops was affecting farmers businesses.
One farmer said there had been a tenfold increase in walkers during lockdown, while another had seen a 5ft (1.5m) path widen to 36ft (11m) across.
Walking charity Ramblers said people must stick to marked paths .
CLA president Mark Bridgeman said while he did not want to discourage people from using the countryside, crops are being damaged nationwide by those avoiding quagmires.
Boris Johnson on his family farm in Exmoor
A group of homeowners have claimed a public footpath on the prime minister’s family estate in a bid to raise awareness of claims being made on private property.
A claim for a public footpath on the Nethercote estate on Exmoor, owned by Stanley Johnson, will be considered by Somerset County Council.
Ann Scott, a Norfolk homeowner who brought the claim, said she wanted to raise awareness over the issue after a claim was made on her own property.
“I am making claims on the private land of high profile people who will be listened to, and I think, have the power to be more effective in demanding a change in the system,” she said. “Nobody is ever the least bit interested in intrusive public rights of way until it personally affects them!”