Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to create a network of shorter walks to encourage people to engage with walking.

England has a fantastic network of paths with some 120,000 miles of linear access through England’s countryside, and we are taking steps to improve this further. For example, we are designating Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route across the north of England as a new National Trail, crossing some of our most precious national landscapes making it accessible to cyclists and horse riders where it is feasible to do so. One of the benefits of designating the route as a National Trail includes circular paths and link routes making the trail more accessible to those interested in taking shorter walks locally.

The Bridlington to Filey stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP) was also recently opened, connecting thousands of people to the Yorkshire coast. Over 850 miles of the path are now open to the public, with over 2,000 miles having now been approved as KCIIIECP. The path links to many existing walking routes, increasing the number of shorter and circular routes available.

We are also improving the way in which rights of way are recorded by implementing a package of reforms to reduce bureaucracy and speed up the process for new rights of way to be added to the legal record for everyone to enjoy.

More broadly, we are taking steps to increase the availability of green and blue spaces for everyone to enjoy, which will also increase the availability of walking routes. In January, we announced a new commitment to work across government to help ensure that everyone lives within 15 minutes’ walk of a green or blue space. This commitment builds on work that is already happening across government. Initiatives such as DLUHC’s Levelling Up Parks Fund, Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework, DfT’s funding for active travel, and Defra’s Urban Trees Challenge Fund are all contributing already.