On the Edge: our Public Rights of Way, our Green Belt, our Countryside

CPRE Hertfordshire is pleased to launch our new digital map of the Public Rights of Way throughout Hertfordshire.

Our map shows these rights of way as well as the designated Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape, so you can easily see if your favourite footpath or bridleway is located in a designated protected area.

 Click on this button to view the map

View the map

Why is this important?

The Green Belt and wider countryside in Hertfordshire are under immense pressure from developers. Many of these are trying to take advantage of the Government’s ‘grey belt’ policy, introduced in 2024 to make it easier to build within the designated protected Green Belt.

Since the introduction of ‘grey belt’ policy, we have seen planning applications for well over 1,200 hectares (circa 3,000 acres) of greenfield land within the Green Belt. This is a massive amount of open countryside under threat of development. And more new applications are coming in every week.

But these areas of land are crucially important for local people and wildlife. In particular, most of the sites proposed for development contain Public Rights of way and are highly valued by local communities as their means of accessing the countryside near where they live. These are the everyday activities that give us all a good quality of life, like getting outside with the dog or the kids for a walk in nature, going for a jog, or simply appreciating the birds, trees, wildflowers and the landscape.

If development occurs, these rights of way will no longer run along hedgerows and through open fields, pastures, woodlands and the countryside. Instead they will run through the bricks and concrete of new-build housing estates, the glass and steel of solar farms, and the massive warehouse-like buildings of data centre facilities. This would be tragic.

On the Edge

Last month CPRE launched the national On the Edge campaign. The campaign calls for every town and city to be surrounded by thriving and protected countryside.

It received a publicity boost when our On the Edge Garden was awarded a prestigious Gold Medal at Chelsea Flower Show. Now, the campaign is focusing on raising awareness of every green space on the edges of the communities where we live.

This includes telling the stories of precious ‘edge land’ countryside right here in Hertfordshire. CPRE has set up an interactive map – maps.cpre.org.uk – where you can share your story about the countryside near where you live.

Many stories have already been submitted from all over Hertfordshire – you can see these stories by clicking on the “About” button in the upper right hand corner of the map, and then click on “Explore all stories” at the bottom of the text box.. Please do submit your story!

Save Our Green Belt

We are campaigning to protect the Green Belt and the wider countryside for everyone – local communities, visitors, nature and wildlife. We don’t want our Public Rights of Way enclosed by construction and development.

Read more about our ongoing campaign to Save Our Green Belt. And please join our campaign and become a CPRE member – it’s quick and easy to join online.