⚠️ Archived Content
This page relates to the 2019–2024 National Park Management Plan, which is now archived. For the latest aims and objectives, please visit the 2025–30 Management Plan landing page.
Carry out works to improve access on appropriate public rights of way and established permissive routes, so that 262km (10%) are suitable for users of all ages and abilities by 2024.
How the local partners are doing on this objective
Progress: A new 3km ‘access for all’ route was created at Aysgarth Falls in 2024. A further 0.6km permissive ‘access for all’ path has been created by the National Trust extending the Dales Way towards Hubberholme.
Overall, the total length of accessible routes has now been increased from 198km to 266km (10.1%), providing new access opportunities for users of all ages and abilities.
Press Releases & related articles:
11 June 2024 – New scooter at Aysgarth Falls
21 February 2023 – Access ‘certainly improving’ for disabled people
Rationale: The Local Access Forum considers the access improvements that have taken place in the last 5 years to be one of the success stories from the last National Park Management Plan. The objective would increase the proportion of the network available to a wide range of users (currently 6.5% following the extension of the Park boundary) by improving around 100km of routes. In recent years there has been a step change in the equipment available to help increase the accessibility of the rights of way network overall.
Lead partner: Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Supporting partners: Yorkshire Dales Farming & Land Management Forum; Experience Community; Access the Dales; Westmorland & Furness Council
Further information: YDNPA – Access for All
Cost over 5 years: £100,000
Funding shortfall: None
Related objectives: B1; B2; B4;
Ecosystem services: Recreation
Trade-offs: Potential impacts on landscape character (A3) are through the principles set out in Special Qualities, Special Experiences.
Baseline: 170 km of routes suitable for users of all ages and abilities (March 2018)
‘State of the Park’ indicator – YES