Membership of a local access forum
3.—(1) A local access forum shall consist of at least ten and not more than 22 members.
(2) The appointing authority may appoint a new member or members to a local access forum at any time, provided that the total number of members does not exceed 22 as a result of the appointment.
(3) If the number of members of a local access forum falls below ten at any time, the appointing authority must, as soon as reasonably practicable, appoint a new member or members so that the forum consists of at least ten members.
(4) The maximum number of members of a local access forum who may also be members of a district or county council or National Park authority for any part of the area of the forum is—
(a)in the case of a local access forum consisting of not more than 16 members, two, and
(b)in the case of a local access forum consisting of no fewer than 17 members, three.
(5) The members shall be persons who appear to the appointing authority to be representative of—
(a)users of local rights of way or the right conferred by section 2(1) (rights of public in relation to access land);
(b)owners and occupiers of access land or land over which local rights of way subsist; or
(c)any other interests especially relevant to the authority’s area (or to any of the authorities’ areas, in the case of a joint local access forum).
(6) The appointing authority must ensure a reasonable balance is maintained between the number of members appointed in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) and the number appointed in accordance with sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (5).
(7) Before appointing any member the appointing authority must—
(a)advertise the vacancy—
(i)in such local or regional newspapers circulating in the authority’s area as they consider appropriate; and
(ii)if they maintain a website on the internet, on such a website; and
(b)consult such persons as they consider appropriate.
(8) The requirements set out in paragraph (7) do not apply to the appointment of any person who—
(a)is a member of a district or county council or National Park authority for any part of the area of the forum; or
(b)is appointed to a forum in the circumstances described in regulation 5(2) or (3).