What the Environmental Improvement Plan means for National Trails

On Monday 1^st December, the Government published its revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), replacing the previous version published in2023. This key document outlines how the Government plans to meet the legally binding targets set out in the Environment Act 2021.

Key changes in the revised EIP

The Government remains committed to the same targets as before, such as protecting 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. However, this revised EIP adds more detail on interim targets, as well as bringing in EIP Delivery Plans and a Monitoring Plan. These mechanisms assign responsibility to specific Government teams for delivery of certain targets, outline monitoring strategies, and provide ‘theories of change’ for each goal. (Yes, access to nature has its own theory of change, see fig. 14 in the Monitoring Plan.)

What does this mean for National Trails?

Firstly, it is important to note that the revised EIP only impacts National Trails in England.

Secondly, it is hard to gauge exactly what the impact will be on National Trails. The revised EIP and new delivery plans combine a mix of existing government programmes and newer commitments, making it challenging to identify precise outcomes for National Trails.

Overall, there is a positive step: National Trails are explicitly mentioned under the section ‘Increasing enjoyment and improving connections to nature’. However, there remains a clear disconnect: the central role of National Trails in reducing barriers to access is not mentioned in that section.

Pros and cons for National Trails

I have made a more detailed pro / con analysis below to help you understand what the impact might be on National Trails. It certainly helped me.

Pro: National Trails are explicitly mentioned.

This is a positive development, as National Trails have not always been included in relevant announcements.

Con: Excluded from key actions

National Trails were still not included in other crucial actions, such as:

‘Provide Protected Landscapes teams training and resources on building partnerships with diverse and underrepresented groups, and collect data on the diversity of visitor groups to National Parks and National Landscapes’.

Given that over 309 million visits a year are made to Protected Landscapes using National Trails, excluding the National Trails from this training and data collection seems a major oversight.

Pro: The Government has publicly committed to an Access to Nature Green Paper.

Con: Timeline unclear

‍There is no  clear timeline for this consultation. With the Defra Access team reduced from 16 to six, it is likely to be later rather than sooner.

Pro: The Access for All programme has officially been extended to include the National Trails.

Con: Future details unclear

It’s not yet clear what the programme will look like for the next financial year, as Defra is still business-planning for next year. Given that the programme has been running for several years, there may be some changes such as the introduction of criteria for spending.

Pro: Clear delivery plans and accountability

The EIP contains delivery plans that assign actions to responsible Departments. This ensures accountability and helps stakeholders like NTUK know who to liaise with.

Con: Limited capacity in Defra Access Team

As already mentioned, the Defra Access team has been reduced by nearly a third, and is currently delivering major capital projects, such as the nine National River Walks. Without increased capacity, it is unclear how all access related actions will be delivered.

Pro: Support for urban green space

Defra will be providing advice on urban accessible green space, and be working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), to identify how to best improve the quality and sustainability of parks and green spaces. While many people think of National Trails as largely rural, over 24% of the network is in urban areas. NTUK will advocate for inclusion in this work.

Con: Lack of statutory recognition in planning

The EIP does not mention protecting or formally recognising the National Trails in planning, despite the action in the EIP to ‘Strengthen legislations to give National Parks and National Landscapes a clear Mandate to widen the public’s access to nature by the end of this Parliament’. Since the National Trails network traverses nearly all National Parks and National Landscapes, and beyond, supporting a Statutory Purpose for National Trails would demonstrate a serious commitment to increase access.

Summary and next steps

Overall, the revised EIP includes some positive steps for National Trails, such as explicit mention, the extension of Access for All, and delivery plans. However, gaps remain, particularly regarding training, data collection, statutory recognition, and capacity within the Defra Access team. NTUK will continue to advocate for the Trails to ensure they are fully included in future actions and planning.

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