Greater Manchester Pennine Fringe Local Access Forum

Local Access Forums are required to be set up by Local Authorities under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The Greater Manchester Districts of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside agreed to set up a joint forum to cover their geographical areas.

These contiguous Districts all have very similar topography : substantial amounts of countryside rising to the Pennine and West Pennine Moors, green wedges of countryside separating their various towns, and fairly dense networks of rights of way, and it was felt that the issues that a single Forum for the area would need to consider over the coming years would be very similar in each District.

The Greater Manchester Pennine Fringe Local Access Forum was established in December 2001. The Forum comprises representatives of user groups, landowners, local authority elected members and other organisations with an interest in access issues in the countryside and our towns.

The Forum's remit is to consider and advise on access issue affecting the geographical area of the Forum. This will include commenting on Draft Regulations, commenting on the Countryside Agency's Draft Maps of Access Land and Registered Common Land, close involvement in the preparation by the individual Local Authorities of Rights of Way Improvement Plans, and other related issues.

The Local Access Forum is currently being administered through Bolton MBC and requests for information should be made through their Committee Section.