Closed petition Ban the use of stiles on public and permissive footways to enable access for all

Closed on 28 January 2021

Stiles can make it difficult or impossible for many people with mobility difficulties to access permissive pathways and public rights of way. Stiles can also be difficult to use by other groups, such as parents carrying children.

Permissive pathways and public rights of way should be open to all, particularly in places of public interest. Following a dispute with a landowner who recently replaced a gate with a stile, preventing many local people from accessing a pathway to a scheduled CADW monument, we discovered that many people across the UK were experiencing this problem. This has been a particular issue during the Covid-19 outbreak, when UK Governments advise us to exercise on our own doorstep.