Countryside code

It might just be that I’m becoming a grumpy old man but I find the sight of flytipping increasingly infuriating!  The burden of clearing it up almost always involves local government. There is also the smack of people being unwelcome in rural areas in this story ,which conflates two unhelpful and mutually reinforcing things – nimbyism and rubbish! I fear it is a sign of the times. This story tells us:

An unprecedented rise in litter, damaging fires and “fly-camping” across the English countryside is partly a result of the government spending less than £2,000 a year over the past decade on promoting the Countryside Code, campaigners say.

The code, a set of simple guidelines to help rural visitors respect wildlife, local people and landscapes, was relaunched in England in 2004 after the new “right to roam” law increased access to the countryside.

But after a brief flurry of advertising devised by the makers of Wallace and Gromit, successive governments since 2010 spent just £2,000 every 18 months reprinting the code for distribution until recent months. In comparison, the government spent £46m on last year’s “Get ready for Brexit” campaign.

A survey of visitors to the Lake District this summer found that while 70% had stocked up on alcohol for the trip and 25% were bringing barbecues, only 13% said they were aware before their visit that they should follow the Countryside Code. Twenty per cent were visiting the area for the first time.

Rural landowners have reported unprecedented problems as millions holiday in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic. 

There has been widespread littering, numerous dry heathlands catching fire because of disposable barbecues, and many incidents of dogs worrying livestock and wildlife.