Forestry England invites riders to have their say about permits

The Countryside Alliance is encouraging riders to respond to Forestry England's survey review of riding permits. Forestry England is once again being asked to ensure "its' access systems are fit for purpose", with the British Horse Society (BHS) being opposed to the use of riding permits, where cyclists and walkers can use the publicly owned land for free.

Currently, Forestry England states it manages 1,670 miles of public bridleways and byways and insists it is determined to provide permit-free access where possible.

It invites riders to complete the survey, saying: "Although horse riding permit systems are only needed at a minority of the nation's forests, we are interested to hear from anyone who rides, or carriage drives, in the forests and woodlands we care for. The information you provide us will feed into our review of horse-riding permit systems and support our decision-making."

With urban and rural traffic levels making it increasingly difficult for riders and their horses to remain safe on the roads, now, more than ever, is the time to re-evaluate and increase free access to safe, off-road riding routes.

The Alliance's Campaign for Hunting Director, Polly Portwin, encourages members with an equestrian interest to have their say: "Whilst this is not a hunting-related matter, we recognise the importance of this survey directly on our riding membership and ask them to participate for the benefit of riders around the country."

Equestrians can share their experiences on the need for off-road riding routes and the availability in their locality, as well as their views on permits for access.

You can complete the Forestry England riding permit survey here before the closing date of Sunday 9 April, 2023.