Walking "close to home" - what does this mean?

NotSpaghetti typical response! I’ve had similar when enquiring about rules with local authorities, referred back to the source you are querying about! Then ‘use your common sense’ as we are urged to do!

Sounds like it depends how officious the policeman is who enforces the regulations. Smile sweetly and be very polite and even pathetic. If you get one can the fine be appealed?

I’ve emailed our MP’s office asking him to obtain clarification and suggesting this should be part of the regulation . Unlikely to get a quick response though.

It certainly seems more confusing this time around. There is a council owned country park 5 miles from my home where we have regularly walked during the first lockdown, then when restrictions eased, but not yet since we went into tier 4 and now lockdown.

I have heard that earlier this week the police were there checking where everyone had come from. One person, who lives 5 minutes drive away (2 miles) was turned away because she doesn’t live in the same local authority as the country park. Presumably, anyone living within that authority is permitted to drive there even though this could involve a distance of fifteen miles each way. So I agree, guidance about the rules would be appreciated.

So what constitutes a local authority?
As nightowl pointed out that could be a good few miles.
This means we can’t shop in Waitrose because it’s in Breackland DC but can pop over to walk in Sheringham Park because it’s in North Norfolk, even though it’s further away.

Or is my local authority supposed to be our towns Town Council or even our village parish council? Sorry I am getting silly now?.

We have just to exercise in our local area by walking. I live in a place that's beside Belfast Lough that is good for walks but lots of people use it as most locals can walk to it. So I'm staying away from there unless a quiet Sunday morning around 8am when no one really about. It must be really awful for people with no green spaces nearby.

No I absolutely agree BlueSky I walk several miles with my pipes every day, if I played them very close to home the neighbours, quite rightly, would complain so I go out into the fields where I only see, and get heard by, dog walkers. Many musicians need daily practice to be any good at all

I walk round and round our housing estate, yes it’s boring, yes I encounter a few people, we move accordingly or I go out earlier/later. Irrespective of the government guidelines the message in my head is from the NHS, consistent and simple, stay home, so I do that, as much as I can, it’s not forever.

We have plenty of parks and beaches in Norfolk, but all the world and his dog walks there. So we stick to walking local roads and clambering leaping into the hedge when cars come along. Wherever you walk gets boring after the first few times, whether its local streets, parks or countryside. Especially in winter. Just something we have to put up with.

I think that the fact that she drove there is the problem.
Sure I read on the Gov website after the announcement of the current restrictions that driving to a park . at least in England was not allowed.
It has not been allowed in Wales for several weeks.

It is possible to challenge a fine. Possibly if there is nowhere else to take the children for exercise. I think parks are open though, unlike before.

Tricky ain't it. We are on the coast so lovely promenade walks are the 'obvious' choice - but everyone is there so we are dodging about the minor roads and back paths. Worked out a good route (before this lock) but mis-timed it and were passing senior school as they poured out - won't do that again.

I tend to do the same routes every day when possible. I’m lucky that I can walk straight out of my house and into lovely country side.
Part of the joy of doing same route is noticing the small differences every day. It might be new buds on the hawthorn, nests being built or noticing the different sheep breeds in the fields. Then there are the lambs and goat kids at one of the farms. The light on the hills is different every day. I live the different lichens and mosses on the walls. There is always something different to see wherever you are.
Take a camera and document what you see. It’s a total joy.

25Avalon

Sounds like it depends how officious the policeman is who enforces the regulations. Smile sweetly and be very polite and even pathetic. If you get one can the fine be appealed?

My thought exactly. Why did the woman in the OP not appeal the fine?

We've even heard of those hosting large gatherings appealing the £10k fine and getting a lower fine.

Neilspurgeon0

No I absolutely agree BlueSky I walk several miles with my pipes every day, if I played them very close to home the neighbours, quite rightly, would complain so I go out into the fields where I only see, and get heard by, dog walkers. Many musicians need daily practice to be any good at all

Sounds lovely! Wish you were near us...

It seems a rather too keen Thames Valley Police officer started stopping cars in Maidenhead, asking them what they were doing out, handing out leaflets telling them to stay at home, and telling them not to drive to a supermarket when there was another closer (which turned out to be closed!) The officer has now been advised by TVP that his actions were over the top. Maidenhead Police are distancing themselves! There will always be one or two police officers making up their own definitions

cornergran

Agree grannynanny. Our nearest NT property is open for exercise. As with many it’s not in a town or even a village. A cursory look shows all tickets are sold for tomorrow afternoon and Saturday. Does that mean everyone there will be breaking the law? It would perhaps be more helpful to have a distance in which travel is allowed for exercise.

There has been a lot of discussion on our local FB site about the NT sites proudly spouting that they are open, and covering themselves with a stay local addendum . As we are the nearest town to one, and 13 miles or 1/2 an hour away, then the general consensus from the posts on our FB is that this is not staying in the area defined as one's own town or village. It is clear that folk are flocking to fill all their slots from the whole county, so perhaps the police would be better employed standing outside NT places and seeing just how far people are travelling rather than picking up people who have driven a tiny distance to access the nearest open space.

I wonder what the rules are for cycling? I usually cycle 20-30 miles three times a week. Is this still allowed

As long as you wear a mask. The number of cyclists who speed past me on access for all footpaths, panting, mouths open, barely six inches away from my nose, no masks defies belief.

Jaxjacky I’m ok walking round an estate, or up and down my relatively small garden but would still like to know what the “rules” actually mean. It’s all very well saying it’s a short time but why choose to pound the streets when there is much quieter open space in relatively close proximity?

Given that I’ve not been shopping, seen nobody, (except once at a funeral), and not even bought postage stamps over a counter since last spring. I’m pretty confident I’m not behaving badly, and am mindful of the pressures on our health system and really don’t want to add to that!

However, if we were all to behave “irrespective of the government guidelines” and follow the NHS “consistent and simple” message, we would all be actually staying home - but even you and I aren’t doing that. Like me, you are taking walks.

I’m not criticising here, just wish someone could have pointed me to something factual.

I certainly was most concerned by a poster on GN stating she was going for a 5 hr hike with a friend across the Yorkshire moorlands. Given I'm an irregular viewer on GN, I didn't read the entire thread, but the person struck me as highly selfish given had either party had an accident, the emergency services would have had to be called out. They could well have had to attend a hospital putting more pressure on those stretched facilities.
She appeared very entitled never considering the lateral fallout of her decisions.

Doesn't it depend where you live? In England you can drive a short distance (I'd have thought 4 miles was OK!) but in Wales it's got to be walking distance from home. Is your DD in Wales?

under Travelling; reasons for on the government's latest advice it says:

*'outdoor exercise': This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space)

*attending the care and exercise of an animal.

What if the nearest supermarket is twelve miles away?
If one is only allowed to walk in the environs of their home
there are going to be a lot of overweight dogs soon because even small ones need a five mile run to stay healthy.

We have a repurposed disused railway very close by. It's a designated footpath and cycle path, sadly most of the cyclist use it at speed with little or no consideration for anyone actually walking along it. Although it is quite wide in places - at least two car widths - a cyclist came up behind me so close recently that they actually brushed against my arm; totally unnecessary imho!
The path does narrow down significantly further along but still the majority of cyclists use it as a race path! Bloody inconsiderate and dangerous - some people have no manners whatsoever!

This is from the 4th January

www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home#exercising

Under Exercise it says

“you should not travel outside your local area”

Under Travel it says

“outdoor exercise. This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space)”

I’m wondering if it is the case that police forces are interpreting differently.

To me this reads the same, you cannot travel outside your local area, and for travelling too a short distance means within your own local area too. Stay home in other words, people are still interpreting the rules (law) how they wish to suit their own circumstances.