Janet Street-Porter: A coalition for our footpaths

We’re constantly being reminded of the benefits of walking. A recent report from Sweden found that regular strolls in woodlands help to reduce stress and bring down erratic heart rates. The researchers concluded that exercise in a natural environment improves our working ability and reduces health care costs. Of course, we ramblers know that our favourite activity clears the mind, as well as tones the body. It’s also probably one of the last things people can do for nothing. But somebody needs to remind the new government, too.

Trumpeting so-called ‘people power’ and the reduction of unnecessary bureaucracy and waste, the Coalition has ordered local councils to make huge savings in order to dig us out of debt. But politicians need some joined-up thinking to ensure that the axe doesn’t fall on our footpath network. As a nation, we’ve definitely got a bit porky over the last decade. The millions spent by the previous government on health education ads and internet campaigns will go under the Coalition – but I’m not that bothered. The best way to get people to change their behaviour isn’t by nagging or nannying, but by gentle peer persuasion. That’s why starting to walk by joining a group like the Ramblers is a good way to meet people and gradually increase your stamina.

But walkers need footpaths, and local authorities are being forced to reduce staff and slash funding for repairs and maintenance to rights of way. Sorting out the paperwork relating to disputes will now take longer than ever – up to 10 years in some places! The Ramblers’ Dead End for Walkers? campaign highlights 19 councils that are the worst offenders, including North Yorkshire. It has 10,000 rights of way issues outstanding, and no plans to increase the funding to sort them out. And Cornwall plans budget cuts of 10% over the next four years, despite neglecting half the paths in the county.

I can vouch for the appalling state of footpaths in Cornwall. Once you leave the coastal path and try to cross the peninsula between St Ives and Newlyn, you can easily get lost. I ended up with horrendous scratches from gorse the other year, and had anybody else been brave enough to walk the route, they’d have heard me cursing. In North Yorkshire, where I own a home, there are a plethora of signs in some areas and absolutely none in others. It’s almost as if the council wants you to stick to the popular, long-distance routes. Gloucestershire has cut half its Highway Authority staff, Surrey’s rights of way maintenance budget has been slashed by a fifth, a hundred bridges need replacing in Wiltshire… the list is endless. Of course, you could argue that it’s more important to protect services for the elderly, schools and hospitals – and I agree, some difficult choices have to be made. But at the same time, if councils promoted walking our overall health would improve and hospitals and clinics wouldn’t be packed with fatties suffering from heart disease.

Our footpaths are part of our national heritage. They’re of such social and historical significance that I want to see them listed like ancient monuments and architecturally important buildings. Instead, unless they are within a national park or part of a recognised long-distance route, they are treated like second-class amenities. The recession means that progress on England’s long-awaited coastal path will slow down too – work is continuing in the five pilot areas, but there are concerns about the long-term budget. We have one of the most varied and historic coastlines in the world. It’s a national treasure, right up there with the Tower of London and Stonehenge. This path will not only benefit Brits, it will attract tourists from all over the world and bring much needed revenue to remote areas.

In our new ‘Age of Austerity’, walking ticks all the right boxes. But it has to be easy. With more of us staying home for holidays, what better way to explore the countryside or our historic cities? Walking around London can be confusing, which is why the Ramblers’ Putting London on the Map campaign is a great idea. The plan is to record every inner London footpath on a legally-binding map, which is the case in every other town and city in the UK. I’ve seen how developers totally ignore rights of way: time after time, I’ve tried to follow a route down the Thames, for example, only to find locked gates or building sites blocking the path. It’s just a shame the map won’t be complete in time for the 2012 Olympics. Wouldn’t it have been great to offer all visitors a definite walking guide to our wonderful capital city?

Janet Street-Porter is Ramblers vice president and Editor at Large of The Independent on Sunday