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).

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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.

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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.

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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”.

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Bedford Estates and the two councils are co-signatories to that agreement. The Greensand Trust is engaged to

manage access and conservation.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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