FOLLOWING a review of the provisional map of registered common land and open country in the south-east of England the Countryside Agency has learned that this map contains 20 errors.
These affect under a square mile of land out of the 4,000 square miles of the south-east that has been mapped in connection with the "right to roam" exercise.
The Countryside Agency has withdrawn the provisional map and will reissue it with the errors corrected shortly.
This means that the three-month period in which people with a legal interest in the land can appeal against the map will begin again when the map is reissued.
Andy Wistow, senior countryside officer for the Countryside Agency in the south-east, said: "To our knowledge this is the largest and most detailed mapping exercise of this nature anywhere in the world.
"Our recent review of the sout-east provisional map has discovered that 20 transcription errors were made. While the amount of land involved is relatively small, we are obviously striving to ensure that the map is as accurate as possible and treat any errors seriously.
"We have withdrawn the south-east provisional map and will reissue it with the errors corrected and the three month-long appeals period will start again.
"We are also writing to all members of the public involved with these errors and to everyone who commented on the draft map to alert them to the new appeals period."
Once the south east provisional map is reissued people will be able to see it on the Countryside Agency website - http://www.countryside.gov.uk/access/mapping">www.countryside.gov.uk/access/mapping – by visiting local authority offices and libraries in the south east or at Countryside Agency offices (by appointment).