Petition Against Criminalising Trespass

[pauldawes]

So I just have to ask. What the heck his the CLA? Or do I need to be read in before anyone can tell me. 

Country Landowners Association....your camouflage jacket must be working well if one of their member’s hasn’t apprehended you yet on one of your frequent rambles.

[barewirewalker]

It is the principle lobby group that represents the old fashioned attitude to landownership. It's headquarters is in Grosvenor Square, the name suggests it is owned by the largest landowner in the land, the Duke of Westminster.
Founded in 1912, when the then Liberal government attempted to introduce Land Taxes, this form of tax failed to be established because the 1914-18 war intervened. It continued as a form of upper class, snooty club for the titled and hereditary landowners until the general public started to wake up to certain facts about landownership.
In the 1980-90 loss of hereditary peerage numbers, reduced the veto by numbers in the house of lords and the CLA woke up to the fact that landowners needed a grass roots membership. They started a membership drive aimed at the new landower class of successful tenant farmers, who had bought their own farms of the failed hereditary landowners.

[Andies]

Country Landowners Association....your camouflage jacket must be working well if one of their member’s hasn’t apprehended you yet on one of your frequent rambles.

Usually easily identified by their greeting:" can I help you?" and thereafter followed by "you're trespassing".

[barewirewalker]

Yet the more dangerous influence is the flawed logic of the 'countryside is a workspace', but we need special dispensation from H&S. Or 'How would you like me trampling over your garden', even though my garden is 2000 acres. It's mine and I don't want to share it.

Why was the CLA 2012 policy on access never open to the public, especially as it was titled a 'Common Sense Approach', perhaps the more discerning reader might  have realised that it is an internal recruiting policy advocating that 'Private Land starts 2m either side of a right of way. Landowners are such superior members of society that there has never has been any mistakes made in access issues and criminality is rife in the common man.


They failed to recognise that the Leisure industry is a growing factor in the national economy, and they believe personal use of the countryside for their leisure pursuits should be paramount and their right.

[ninthace]

Usually easily identified by their greeting:" can I help you?" and thereafter followed by "you're trespassing".

It has only happened to me once that I can remember - it wasn't the owner but a keeper, and I was!  Far out numbered by the number of greetings, smiles, friendly discussions on the weather and directions/advice about the path. 

[richardh1905]

This example of 'how would you like it if someone camped in your garden' is entirely fallacious, the stuff of the Daily Mail. In Scotland this just does not happen.

[jimbob]

This example of 'how would you like it if someone camped in your garden' is entirely fallacious, the stuff of the Daily Mail. In Scotland this just does not happen.

Well spotted Richard, any cursery glance at the tort of tresspass would show that that circumstance would normally be classed (using simplistic language as the legalese is somewhat tedious) as a nuisance and could be dealt with by the police as a criminal offence.

[harland]

Part of the Government's response below, although not specific, is clearly to stop "travellers or whatever they like to call themselves" staying on land and leaving their rubbish behind. Consequently I support the proposal and won't be signing.

"As a result, the Government launched a consultation in 2019 to seek views on how the act of trespass, when setting up or residing on an unauthorised encampment could be criminalised, or whether it is preferable to extend the current police powers to direct people away from unauthorised sites. Such measures would not affect ramblers, the right to roam or rights of way. Instead, measures could be applied in specific circumstances relating to trespass with intent to reside."

[BuzyG]

Country Landowners Association....your camouflage jacket must be working well if one of their member’s hasn’t apprehended you yet on one of your frequent rambles.

I try to rely on speed.  May need to learn camouflage though, not getting any younger. 

[tonyk]

 Instead, measures could be applied in specific circumstances relating to trespass with intent to reside."

 Such as wild camping.In the case of a solo wild camper its unlikely to be enforced by the the police due to lack of resources but gamekeepers and farmers will use more aggressive measures to drive people from their land.

[ninthace]

 Such as wild camping.In the case of a solo wild camper its unlikely to be enforced by the the police due to lack of resources but gamekeepers and farmers will use more aggressive measures to drive people from their land.

Wild camping, by its very nature is not really intent to reside. It is not allowed in England now except in limited areas.  If you are asked to move on, you must. It mostly works because it either tolerated or undetected. How will that change?

[jimbob]

"As a result, the Government launched a consultation in 2019 to seek views on how the act of trespass, when setting up or residing on an unauthorised encampment could be criminalised, or whether it is preferable to extend the current police powers to direct people away from unauthorised sites. Such measures would not affect ramblers, the right to roam or rights of way. Instead, measures could be applied in specific circumstances relating to trespass with intent to reside."

Harland, I do hope you are not confusing this initial" consultation" with the actual act due to be put in front of Parliament. The CLA and other interested parties have had their say during said process, I doubt if many walkers were even informed on how to give their views at this consultation.

Once the paper is in front of parliament it will be to late to start petitions if it does go the CLA way.

Those who cause damage and nuisance can already be dealt with in the criminal courts, no need to change the law for that, so why are they doing so?

[richardh1905]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/local-isnt-happy-as-boris-johnson-carries-on-camping-z0gn5tkzl

[richardh1905]

I had a look at the so called consultation - it was a complete and utter sham as far as I was concerned as there was no 'do not criminalise' option.

[WhitstableDave]

I don't see why consultation was needed anyway. The Conservative Manifesto included this promise...

"We will tackle unauthorised traveller camps. We will give the police new powers to arrest and seize the property and vehicles of trespassers who set up unauthorised encampments, in order to protect our communities. We will make intentional trespass a criminal offence, and we will also give councils greater powers within the planning system."

...and a majority of voters gave them a mandate. I must add that I wasn't one of them though! 

(If the party I vote for wins, then carries out a promise in their manifesto, I don't see how I could reasonably complain. But surely no one here voted Conservative and has also signed the petition...)