Accessing the local environment

In the past we have worked with local communities, land managers and partner agencies to upgrade and create path networks with the aim of encouraging people to use their surrounding environment, helping to promote healthy lifestyles.

The access forum operates as a communicator to allow local communities, interest groups and land managers to voice their access ideas and issues and to become involved in the whole path creation process, from funding to building.

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 placed a duty on local authorities to produce a core paths plan. Our core paths plan was adopted by the Environmental Services Committee on 18 October 2011.

This Plan provides a basic framework of paths sufficient for the purpose of giving the public reasonable access throughout North Lanarkshire and will link into and support a wider network of paths and all other areas of land and inland water over which access rights are applicable.

Core paths may include rights of way (not all rights of way are core paths), other existing routes such as paths, footways, cycle routes, paths established through public path agreements and orders and waterways over which access rights are applicable.

The core path network provides opportunities to link communities and to help the people of North Lanarkshire to lead healthier lifestyles by taking regular exercise.