About you

1.        Age 16 or Under 17-25 26-35 36–4546–55 56–65 66+

2.        Location of your home   Rural   Suburbs   Urban (inner city)

3.        Post Code   

4.        What recreational group are you a member of?  

            Please give name of group and type of activity undertaken.

Your Activity

5.        How often do you partake in your chosen activity?    

                    Daily Weekly MonthlyAnnually Other

6.        How are the group’s activities organized? (expand your answer if necessary) 

                    Formal group events               

                    Informal individual activities     

                    Local trips                              

                    Other                                     

                    Informal group activities           

                    Competition                            

                    National Trips                         

7.        Where do the group’s activities take place? (tick all that apply)

                    Footpath                                                Bridleway

                    Permissive route (informal agreement)     Permissive route  (formal agreement)

                    RUPP or Restricted Byway                    BOAT (Byway open to all Traffic)

                    CRoW Access Land                              Specially managed venue

                    Privately owned agricultural land             Council managed venue

                    Land owned by your club                       Land leased from the local authority

                    Nature Reserves                                    Other (Please state)

8.        Which of the following problems have you come across in the countryside?

   Please grade each on a scale of 0 to 5 -  (5 being a severe problem, 0 being not a problem):                                         

Other (please state)

9.        What improvements do you think would make using / visiting the countryside easier and more enjoyable?

(Please grade each on a scale of 0 to 5., 5 being very important, 0 being not at all important)

Other (please state)

10.        Do you, if ever, use land illegally for your activity?   

                    Yes   No

                    (For example using farmers’ land without permission or using footpaths for motorized vehicles / horses / bicycles.)
                     If yes, how often?  (All answers will be treated anonymously and confidentially!).

                    Annually            Monthly             Weekly             Daily                 One off incident (accidentally)

 11.        How do you think your sport/activity is perceived by the public/other countryside users?

                    Very unfavorably    Unfavorably    Favorably    Very favorably    Not sure

 12.        How do you rate your understanding of the countryside code?

                    Very Good    Good     Not sure    Poor    Very Poor

13.        Does your group follow a code of conduct in order to minimize impact on environment/disturbance to others?  

                    Yes    No

14.        Do you think recreational groups should make an effort in repairing any damage done to the environment by their activity?  

                    Yes    No

15.        What effort do you / your group make to repair any damage you do?

16.        Do you believe that your activity can have any effect on the countryside or other countryside users?

             (please tick all that apply)

Disturbance to other countryside users                             Disturbance to farm stock

Disturbance to wild animals/birds                                     Damage to track surfaces           

Noise disturbance to local residents                                 Inconvenience to other countryside users

Inconvenience to land owners / farmers                            Widening of paths into fields            

Pollution                                                                          Creates jobs for local residents       

Involves local youngsters                                                  Benefits the local economy        

Interesting spectacle to passers by                                     

Other (Please Specify)

17.        As a user of the countryside, how would you describe your relationship with local landowners?

                    Very good    Good    Satisfactory    Poor    Very Poor

18.        How do you think farmers/landowners could be persuaded to allow more access to their land for recreational activities?                                           

19.        Do you believe that outdoor recreation can have an impact on the environment?

                    Yes - Negative impact    Yes – a positive impact

                    No impact                    Not sure

                    (if yes, please state how

20.        Do you believe that public access and recreation can have any of the following positive impacts?

(Please tick all that apply)

Economic benefit to the landowner

Economic benefit to the community

Social benefits to the community

Improved public understanding of the countryside

Improved public understanding of farming issues

Exercise and fitness benefits

Improved physical and mental well-being of users

Other  (Please state)

 21.        If you have any other comments about the positive or negative impacts

              of public access and recreation, please state here...

Thank you for completing this questionnaire. If you have any problems or would like more questionnaires or information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Catherine Barlow

Tel 01604 491131 ext. 608

email: catherineb@moulton.ac.uk

Moulton College, Moulton, Northampton, NN3 7RR. 

Abbreviations:

CRoW – Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000

CSS – Countryside Stewardship Scheme,

HLS – Higher Level Scheme (Environmental Stewardship)

RuPP – Roads used as Public Paths (now called restricted Byway).