Organisations have welcomed the proposals contained in the Agriculture Bill, while acknowledging that its real benefits will depend on details that are yet to be agreed...
New legislation granting payments to farmers for public access to their land is a “positive step”, but there is still work to be done in order for this to benefit riders.
The Agriculture Bill, which will have its second reading at the House of Commons on 3 February, sets out provisions to provide money for “public goods”, including financial assistance to farmers and landowners to support access to and enjoyment of the countryside.
{"content":"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"}
You might also be interested in…
‘We are on track to provide some great opportunities for cycling, walking and horse riding’
Credit: BHS and DMBinS
‘We hope our members and the mountain bike community share this video and help educate everyone on how we can all
The new steps have made the bridleway accessible for riders
‘They are certainly impressive and a very simple and logical solution to making this beautiful section of bridleway usable’
The restored bridleway.
Credit: British Horse Society
Work included cutting back trees and scrub to form a 4m-wide area and creating a new drainage system to stop
Credit: Laureen Roberts
We talk to Cheshire-based access campaigner Laureen Roberts about why it’s so important to keep riding Britain’s bridleways
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
H&H senior news writer
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
