Outdoor Access – Core Paths

[Image: Outdoor Access Image Strip]

While the primary purpose of Part 1 of the Land Reform Act is to establish statutory access rights to all suitable land, whether or not defined paths exist, it is recognised that the majority of access takes place along defined routes. Section 17 of the Act requires Local Authorities to provide a system of core paths that are sufficient for the purpose of giving the public reasonable access throughout their area. In other words these core paths will form a basic network of routes for exercising your access rights. These will link into wider path networks and general access areas, such as open land, woods, fields and hills.

We carried out informal consultations in 2006 and 2007 to draw up the plan. The first round of consultation we formed a good idea of the places where people like to take access across Dundee. Working with the Local Access Forum we developed a network of paths from the consultation data and ensured that the paths met key criteria. In the second round of consultations we put these proposals forward to ensure we got the plan right.

We made a few changes to the plan after the informal consultations had been completed and are now formally consulting on the plan. You can provide comments, objections and representations on the plan using the form provided. Please make sure you read the introductory report carefully to ensure you know the background to the plan.

Dundee City Council has an obligation to provide an Environmental Report as part of the Core Paths Plan. This is available as a PDF document for you to download. If you have comments on the Environmental Report please provide them in writing to the contact named in the report.

Formal consultation will run from 16th May 2008 to 8th August 2008.