About the Joint Local Access Forum
The Northumberland National Park and County Joint Local Access Forum is a statutory body set up by the appointing authorities of Northumberland National Park Authority and Northumberland County Council. The forum has responsibility for the County of Northumberland including that part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Northumberland.
The forum was set up in May 2003 as a result of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW) which requires local authorities to make more of the countryside accessible. The forum is charged with providing advice to Northumberland National Park Authority, Northumberland County Council and Natural England (formerly the Countryside Agency) on how to make the countryside more accessible and enjoyable in ways which address social, economic and environmental interests.
The forum has a remit of advising on strategic access and recreational issues generally. The forum's work will include being consulted on:
- Draft maps of open country and registered common land prepared by Natural England
- Preparation of byelaws made by the access authorities that affect access land
- Appointment of access wardens
- Directions proposed by the National Park Authority or Countryside Agency in relation to long term closure of access land
- Public rights of way improvement plans prepared by the appointing authorities.
The forum currently has 22 members representing:
- Users of local rights of way or open access land (e.g. walkers, horse riders, cyclists and carriage drivers)
- Owners, managers and occupiers of access land or land over which local rights of way subsist
- Wider interest groups, including rural business, education, tourism, youth work, urban interests, conservation and disability issues, especially relevant to the appointing authority's area.
Further informaiton on local access forums is available from 'Guidance on Local Access Forums in England' published by DEFRA in February 2007.
The JLAF meetings, whilst not public meetings, are open to the public and held at various venues throughout Northumberland. We would be very happy to see members of the public at our meetings.
Compliments and Complaints
The DEFRA Guidance (2007) para 6.1.5 advises "that although forums are independent advisory bodies and are not part of local government, the appointing authority should ensure that the forum conducts its business within its statutory remit having regard to this Guidance. Any complaints about the conduct of the forum, or a forum member, should be dealt with through the appointing authority's normal complaints procedure".
Please refer to the Northumberland National Park Compliments and Complaints page for the complaints procedure.
