Overview

• A new wave of Public Spaces Protection Orders extends criminal penalties to routine countryside activities, creating a patchwork of local restrictions.
• New Forest district council prohibits feeding or petting ponies, horses, mules or donkeys, with breaches carrying fines of up to £1,000.
• Elmbridge in Surrey bans fishing between 7pm and 7am, while North East Lincolnshire requires permits for metal detecting.
• Wild and open‑water swimming faces new prohibitions in places including Salford, parts of Somerset and North Lincolnshire, with Abbots Pool issuing £75 fines for even quiet wading or individual swims.
• Civil‑liberties and outdoor‑access groups warn of safety risks from bans on camping stoves and the removal of supervised exemptions, as councils defend the orders as responses to environmental harm and public concern.