Section 25: Local access forums
105.This section provides for the establishment of at least one local access forum by each local authority.
106.This section places a duty on each local authority to establish a local access forum consisting of a reasonable balance of persons and bodies representing the interests of persons with an interest in public access on and over land and owners of land over which access rights are exercisable.
107.The functions of a forum are to provide advisory and dispute resolution services in relation to the exercise of access rights, the existence of rights of way and the drawing up and adoption of core paths plans.
108.Subsection (5) allows a local authority to appoint one or more of its own members to a forum, and subsection (6) allows a local authority to establish more than one forum for its area.
109.Subsection (7) enables a local authority to pay expenses and allowances to the members of the local access forum.
