Farm leaders have criticised the government's move to ditch the 2031 cut-off date for adding unrecorded rights of way to the 'definitive map' in England.
Labour said its move to reverse the previous Conservative government's 2031 cut-off date meant these paths would 'no longer be lost to the public'.
England has thousands of miles of unrecorded rights of way which are used by walkers, cyclists and equestrians, but aren’t officially recorded or protected.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) argues the decision was made without engaging with farmers and landowners, as they would now face 'significant uncertainty'.
CLA deputy president, Gavin Lane said: “The vast majority of landowners are keen to promote responsible access, and work in collaboration with Defra and campaigning groups to ensure people can continue to experience the benefits of the countryside in decades to come."
He called the announcement a 'backward step', on which was part of the government's 'latest attack' on the countryside and farmers.
“This country already has an enormous amount of public access – with 140,000 miles of footpath and 3.5m acres of public access land in England and Wales alone.”
Under the changes, local authorities will have the required time to assess whether paths meet the requirements to be added to the 'definitive map'.
This is the legal record of public rights of way and was established by the Atlee government when they passed the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 75 years ago.
Once a right of way has been established, the relevant local authority will then be legally responsible for maintaining them along with the appropriate landowner.
The government said this would ensure paths were 'maintained properly allowing more people to experience the benefits of spending time in the outdoors'.
But NFU deputy president David Exwood said that public access needed to be balanced with productive farming.
"This current plan simply perpetuates an outdated focus on routes that haven't been used for centuries," he said.
"Instead, the focus should be on a network fit for the future that encourages responsible use, respects working farmland, and promotes safety in accordance with the Countryside Code."
