Access land

Applies to England and Wales. The Countryside & Rights of Way Act 2000 appoints Access Authorities to manage the opening-up of Access Land to the public. The Access Authority is responsible for identifying potential areas of Access Land and enforcing the opening of these areas; it is also responsible for improving and maintaining access to Access Land, e.g. by installing new gates or causing obstructions to be removed. In National Parks, the Access Authority is the relevant National Park Authority; elsewhere, it is the local highway authority. The Countryside Agency is responsible for maintaining the definitive map of Access Land.