Hampshire County Council Draft Countryside Access Plan 2025-35

From 14 May to 6 August 2025 residents’ and stakeholders’ views were sought on the draft Hampshire County Council Draft Countryside Access Plan 2025-35.

The consultation is now closed. Following a decision at the Executive Lead Member for Universal Services Decision Day on 22 September 2025, the draft Countryside Access Plan 2025-35 was officially adopted on 1 October 2025.

The Countryside Access Plan 2025-35 is available to view on our website.

Background

The draft Countryside Access Plan (CAP) explains how we aim to improve countryside access in Hampshire over the next 10 years.

It reflects our statutory duties as well as the financial challenges being faced by the Council and other organisations.

You can read the full draft Plan, and there is a summary of the key points below.

There is also a shorter summary of the draft Plan.

The new areas of focus which have informed the draft CAP for 2025-35 are:

1. Planning and Transport Systems

• Integrate countryside access improvements into local planning and development.
• Use funds from development projects to enhance countryside access.

2. Health and Wellbeing

• Promote the health benefits of spending time in nature.
• Work with health organisations to improve access to green spaces.

3. Access for all

• Identify and address barriers to access.
• Make countryside access inclusive for everyone, regardless of physical, mental, cultural, or socio-economic barriers.

4. Climate Change and Environment

• Adapt to the impacts of climate change on the countryside.
• Promote nature recovery and sustainable practices.

The draft CAP for 2025-35 reflects these areas of focus through the following key goals:

A. Develop a Strategic Approach to Network Management

• Focus on maintaining and improving important paths and routes.
• Work with local authorities and partners to secure funding and support for our work.

B. Work with Other Organisations and Volunteers

• Work with local stakeholders to maintain and improve paths.
• Provide guidance and support to communities for local projects.

C. Listening, Informing, Educating

• Ensure that information about paths and countryside access is easy to find, understand, and use.
• Promote responsible use of the countryside and educate the public about its benefits.

How we will measure the success of the draft Plan

• The plan outlines specific actions, timelines, and funding sources for each key goal.
• The actions are categorised by priority: statutory (required by law), discretionary preventative (important but not required), and discretionary (valuable but dependent on funding).