I believe that the EU and our Govt wants to eventually own All Land, this is a first step. Although we should be congratulating this move I believe they have not done this for us.
Hang on there Adrian! That link is to one of the most controversial conspiracy silly websites on the net today though matey! You cannot go believing much written there you know! You have been well had there mate if you believe their ruddy drivel! I should know, as I used to read stuff there, till I found out what a crock of bollocks they made up to try to back up and fit their few true facts! The only possibly good stuff on there is the 911 towers bit, on the other towers being blown up. And we now do actually have a feasible explanation for that! The POL depot under the NYC Mayoral command control bunker underground there went up in an explosion too, on the day! You will be telling me you listen on shortwave and internet to the bloody POWER HOUR.COM NEXT!
The link is to a notorious online conspiracy theories website there guys! Just so you know what to expect.Good stuff there on the UN trying to take over the running of America and the world at large though of course! The replacing of the US Presidential blue with the lighter blue of the UN emblem flag in backgrounds at press conferences and in ties worn by officials etc. Thought by such conspiracy theorists to be an example of the the UN beginning to 'take over' the running of US government etc. All total crap if you stop to actually think about it! As if they would bother with such trivial things!!
Adrian, technically the reigning monarch 'owns' all the land in this country, and that's been the case since 1066. Throughout the centuries, the reigning monarch has granted long leases on land to anyone who supports them and keeps them in power. The government would have to bump off the Queen and all her family to change that situation.
From my perspective as a mere walker, the so-called 'Right to Roam' should really be called a 'Limited Permission to Walk with Due Care and Attention Except when such Permission is Withdrawn for Reasons of Land Management', but all the same, I generally applaud it. The only annoying thing I find about it is that it takes all the 'fun' out of trespassing. I was discussing this recently with a friend, and we both felt that things were markedly different now that we had a 'right' to be wandering all over the hills. In recent weeks, I had to go well out of my way to find a vast upland area where I could go and 'trespass'... and oddly enough... I wasn't the only person up there! On the 'Glorious Twelfth' I was walking on what was formerly a jealously-guarded grouse moor, only to find I was the only person up there, but that's probably because the grouse-shooters were put off by the weather.
You might need foil underwear too then, cp! As some UFO nuts claim 'rays' are being emitted from low flying UFO's and 'Black Helicopters' too, to slowly sterilise sections of the human race! Woooowieoooo! The Truth may be out there, as Special Agent Fox Mulder says - but it sure isn't on any kind of conspiracy theories type websites, that's for damned sure!
I know what you mean Paddy, the Bowland fells are no longer the adventure they used to be. We knew most of the tops long before the right to roam. The only time we were ever challenged was by an overzealous North West Water ranger who told us in no uncertain terms that we were on the wrong path. We did steer clear during the grouse shooting season though.