23/10/2025
So here we go again. Not only are us small businesses waiting for bristol city council to charge us permits for walking dogs. But now the woodland trust want £500 a year to walk in the woods tok !??
Whats going on, do they think clients pay us in gold ?? We are in minimum wage as it is, now this.
This will affect places like Avon gorge, bishops knoll and places along rhe portway.
Please support us by sending a letter or email to ceo.pf woodland Trust.
Letter to CEO of Woodland Trust regarding introduction of licenses
Good morning everyone. Someone posted yesterday regarding the introduction of licenses (£500 per site) for commercial dog walkers for selected Woodland Trust land. To be clear, I don’t actually use Trust land to walk, however I do feel quite strongly for other walkers who do. I personally feel like there’s not enough clarity around the licenses (you have to email them to find out which woods are included for example), so I have drafted and sent an email to the CEO Darren Moorcroft (I found his email by googling). If you wish to register your concerns as well (a collective response might have more impact) I’m more than happy if you want to use my email as a template.
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Subject: Concerns regarding the new commercial dog walking license scheme
Dear Mr Moorcroft
I’m writing as a professional dog walker and small business owner to express concern about the newly announced requirement for commercial dog walkers to purchase a £500 licence, per site, to operate on Woodland Trust land.
Before anything else, I want to acknowledge the vital work the Woodland Trust does. Protecting and restoring woodland habitats is something all of us in the dog walking community fully support. We value access to safe, natural spaces and understand the need to manage them responsibly.
However, several aspects of the new licensing model are causing understandable concern among small, independent walkers:
1. Prohibitive cost: £500 per site places the scheme far beyond the reach of most small businesses, especially those operating responsibly at a local level. Many dog walkers earn modest incomes and already carry significant overheads including insurance, vehicle costs, training, and equipment.
2. Per-site licensing: Requiring separate licences for each wood creates an unrealistic financial and administrative burden. In many areas, walkers use a variety of small local woods, often rotating locations to avoid overuse and protect the environment.
3. Transparency and scope: The website currently doesn’t list which woods fall under this scheme. Walkers are being asked to contact the Trust directly for clarification, which risks creating confusion and inconsistent application. Some have expressed concern that this could also be used to identify the most popular sites before fees are expanded further.
4. Public rights of way: Many of the Trust’s woods contain public footpaths or bridleways, which remain legally accessible to everyone. It would be helpful to understand how the licensing requirement interacts with those existing public rights, as this isn’t currently clear.
5. Enforcement and communication: There’s also uncertainty around how the policy will be implemented or “policed,” and whether the Trust plans to engage with local councils or walkers before rollout.
I completely appreciate the need to balance public access with habitat protection. However, the optics of introducing high fees for small, insured, and responsible local businesses risk alienating a community that could otherwise be a valuable ally in promoting responsible woodland use.
A more constructive approach might be to consult with representatives from the professional dog walking sector to explore fairer, more practical alternatives - for example, a single national or regional licence, reduced fees for small operators, or a collaborative stewardship model.
I’d be grateful if you could clarify:
* How the £500 figure was determined
* Whether public rights of way remain exempt
* How sites will be identified and communicated
* Whether there will be consultation or review before implementation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for the work the Woodland Trust continues to do to protect our woodlands. I hope the Trust will consider engaging with the commercial dog walking community to find a fair and transparent solution that supports both conservation and responsible local enterprise.
Kind regards
