The Role of Dartmoor National Park Authority
Information
Sheet 13
Dartmoor National Park Authority has two roles in relation to managing the open access rights granted by the CRoW Act:
Access Authority
Inside each of the National Parks, the National Park Authority acts as Access Authority. This role gives certain powers to manage CRoW Act access land inside the National Park. These are to:
- erect and maintain notices indicating the boundaries of access land, and to inform the public about restricted activities and any other appropriate issues
- improve the means of access to the land, for example through installing, improving and maintaining gates and stiles
- make byelaws on CRoW Act access land to control behaviour and prevent damage to the land (at present the Authority has not made byelaws in relation to CRoW land)
- appoint wardens (this wardening function is being carried out by the Authority’s Ranger Service)
Outside of the national parks, the Access Authority is the highway authority e.g. for the rest of Devon (outside Exmoor National Park) the Access Authority is Devon County Council.
Relevant Authority
Inside each of the National Parks, the National Park Authority is also the Relevant Authority. The Relevant Authority is responsible for determining applications from land managers for a restriction or exclusion of access to land. It may also restrict or exclude access without having received an application - for reasons of fire prevention or public safety, nature conservation or heritage conservation.
For the whole of the country outside National Parks, the Countryside Agency is the Relevant Authority, and the Forestry Commission is the Relevant Authority for woodland dedicated as access land.
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Page updated 23 November 2005
