Summer months bring additional risks to green spaces
With many people looking at ways to lower their carbon footprint there is now an increase in visitor numbers to the countryside around the UK.
The increase in visitors has resulted in the risks to people, wildlife and the countryside rising in green areas up and down the country. Whilst we have not seen a huge influx of claims at this stage, it is likely that we will and as such in this article we take a deeper look into the risks that a rise in footfall could create:
Disposable BBQs
Retailers are now banning sales near UK National Parks due to the devastating impact disposable BBQs have on our green spaces. The Co-op group last year announced its decision to remove instant barbecues from its National Park-based stores in an attempt to reduce wildfires.
An example of how just one disposable BBQ can cause serious environmental damage is when a fire at Wareham Forest (Dorset) broke out in 2020. The fire rapidly spread to the size of 230 football pitches subsequently destroying that whole area of forest. It is estimated that approximately four million litres of water were needed to fight the fire and 7,800 bottles of water were issued to the incident. There have been over 20 serious fires of moorland and grassland in the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and the New Forest in the last few years.
It is not only ‘Green Areas’ where disposable BBQs are an issue. They’re also used on beaches; however, did you know that the heat from a BBQ is retained in the sand for hours after use? There have been situations where visitors have burnt their feet having walked over the area with a girl badly burning her foot after standing on a BBQ that was buried in the sand.
Wildfires
The increase in wildfires we saw in 2021, we believe is due to a combination of factors, including longer drier periods, warmer air, increasingly strong winds and deforestation. Firefighters have recently seen their busiest day since World War II due to unprecedented hot weather. With rising temperatures as a result of climate change, a heavy accumulation of “fuel” such as dry grass which effectively becomes tinder and winds travelling in from the East, this creates the perfect conditions for wildfires which decimate forests and threaten local communities.
Although UK wildfires are seemingly small-scale compared to blazes experienced in hotter, drier countries overseas, the rise in incidents of serious wildfires could be more challenging to control in the future. We are, therefore, committed to working with stakeholders to refocus land-use policies for smarter and more sustainable land-use planning and management. This includes actions such as planners paying more attention to granting permission in wildfire vulnerable areas of the UK and avoiding construction of new-build housing stock on the edge of moorland.
Furthermore, we need to increase public awareness about the risks of fire in our UK forests and moorlands. Something as seemingly innocuous as using a disposable barbecue, or not properly extinguishing a cigarette could cause intense flames within moments.
Extinguishing these blazes can be a huge drain on precious resources, involving the fire service, volunteers with hand beaters, All Terrain Vehicles with fogging equipment, and the deployment of large machinery to create fire breaks and sometimes even helicopters with water bombing equipment. Some of the most serious wildfires in the UK, have taken up to five days to extinguish.
This is an issue that requires cross-sector collaboration, including the Government, local council planning, housing and fire services, public sector companies including utilities, housing associations, National Park representatives, representatives of the farming community, insurers and developers - we must all work together to ensure that policies are effectively focussed and coordinated.
Increase in vehicles
An increase in visitors means that there are more vehicles at these locations, causing congestion (particularly at hot spots) leading to inappropriate car parking. Larger car parks are required which often means green spaces being either tarmacked over or other material used. In some situations, ‘overflow’ car parks are used which are simply fields. This requires Councils and Landowners to spend further funds along with inspecting the areas and in some popular locations engage ‘traffic controllers’ to manage the visitors.
The consequences from an insurance perspective could lead to a potential increase in claims including:
- Damage to the cars themselves – from other people’s parking (people trying to squeeze into spaces).
- Public Liability – Our Insured may have responsibility for the car parks which they will then have a duty to ensure that the car park is reasonably safe. Our Insureds (Highway Authorities) would also have a duty regarding inappropriate parking on the highway e.g., knowing people are parking dangerously on a bend and failing to stop them – following which an accident occurs.
- Employers Liability – Our Insureds may need to staff these car parks/highways and could become either verbally abused or assaulted by members of the public who can’t find a parking space
Damage to natural footpaths in Countryside could cause tripping hazards
With more footfall, natural footpaths are being worn away at a faster pace, including the topsoil of paths, leaving stone and other material exposed. Visitors are then choosing to avoid the paths by walking on the grass causing further damage. Also, in some locations, tree roots are becoming exposed which turn into tripping hazards. Again, this has led to more inspections and maintenance being required. In the Lake Districts there is a project, ‘Fix the Fells’ which is spending £500,000 a year on maintaining the footpaths to avoid accidents.
Rise in animals attacking visitors interacting with wildlife
Some of our rural areas have wild ponies, and cows whose role are to be a natural ‘lawn mower.’ Often visitors will try and interact with the wild ponies and we have seen an increase in visitors with dogs being attacked by cows protecting their calves.
Councils and Landowners staff
With the rise in visitors to the Countryside some employees are receiving abuse for asking visitors to park correctly, clear their rubbish or move on from ‘fly camping.’ This can lead to time off work and as such we may see claims in the future for stress/anxiety or even physical injuries.
By making sure that we educate ourselves and/or take steps where we can to reduce the risks to people, wildlife and the countryside we can all enjoy the Green Spaces the UK has to offer.
