Woodland owners’ attitudes to public access provision in south-east England

In 2002 Forestry Commission England contracted the University of Brighton to undertake research into the attitudes and perceptions of woodland owners to public access. The six study areas in south-east England represented a good range of woodland and owner types. Overall there was a benign attitude towards public access to woodlands with only a few private owners reluctant to allow any access. Woodlands were mainly seen as non-commercial propositions requiring continuous investment to maintain their value, and many owners were attracted to grant aid to help them fulfil wider aims for woodland management. Owners felt that larger woodlands located in the urban fringe should be the strategic focus of access initiatives. In no case outside the public/non-profit sectors was recreational access a leading priority of the owner, and the blanket availability of proportional grants solely related to the provision of access seems unlikely to attract much new provision.