In Sep 2018, Bedford Estates put in place signage stating that dogs should be on-lead throughout all 800 acres
of Aspley Woods (see signage below).
Aspley Off Lead! Is a very small group of volunteer activists, drawn from the wider membership of a 600+ strong
Facebook group of dog owners and walkers of the same name (Facebook link at top right of screen).
We have one purpose: to restore off-lead access to Aspley Woods.
We have established that the only body insisting on the “dogs on-lead” requirement is Bedford Estates - but
Central Bedfordshire Council, Milton Keynes Council and The Greensand Trust acquiesced.
The councils who fund access and conservation at the woods (£50,000 per year) elected not to insist on
adherence to the access agreement requiring that dogs need only be “under control”.
Bedford Estates and the two councils are co-signatories to that agreement. The Greensand Trust is engaged to
manage access and conservation.
Despite numerous approaches to Bedford Estates, no appreciable change has been agreed. For example, we
have offered a dog-walkers’ code of conduct, plus the mobilisation of volunteers to support the rangers, plus a
zoning option to reduce the co-location of cyclists and dog-walkers.
On 30 November at our request, national representatives of The Kennel Club met the agent of Bedford Estates,
to no avail: the ban remains in place. The only concession being considered is extending a small number of
‘permissions’ to create limited circular walks linking up with the few public rights of way at the woods.
Since the landowner has taken no real interest in conciliatory approaches, we now have little option but to begin
campaigning, to restore access to a much-loved safe space for dog walkers and their pets.
On 01 December we wrote at length to the Managing Director of Bedford Estates, offering a last opportunity to
revert to the agreement they signed in 2011. If this opportunity is also declined, campaigning will begin in earnest
from early January.
To support the campaign, please see the “Useful Stuff” page on this site. On our Facebook page you’ll also find
materials that will help towards restoring off-lead access throughout the woods and updates on social media
activity and other initiatives
