Country landowners in Wales have backed the idea of opening up land for 'back to nature' camping.

Responding to a BBC Wales’ feature on campaigners seeking to open land for wild camping, Charles de Winton, from CLA Cymru, points out that true wild camping. or fly camping, is illegal in Wales and England.

But he added: “Responsible wild camping can be accommodated on Welsh land where it is safe for visitors, livestock, crops and wildlife and importantly, has the permission of the landowners.

“Wild camping is illegal in Wales and England. What this means to visitors and land managers is that authorities have powers to act against ‘fly-camping’, which is associated with littering, damage and other anti-social behaviour.

"Today ‘wild camping’ has a new meaning in being entirely sustainable or ‘close-to-nature.’ It is important to recognise that it’s short-term, recreational and zero-impact, and has a role to play in social wellbeing and further improving the wider community’s relationship with our land and those who manage it.

"Some rural businesses are already taking steps to develop opportunities within the law.

“It’s important to remember that most rural land in Wales is looked after and maintained by farmers. Here they may have vulnerable livestock and crops, and they play a vital part in bio-conservation and landscape care. This is their home and livelihood.2

Mr de Winton added: “In this so-called staycation summer landowners are pleased to be welcoming more visitors to the Welsh countryside, but we have seen an increase of incidents of unsociable behaviour and abuse of the countryside.

"Farms and rural businesses are vulnerable to damage by fire, contamination by human or dog excrement, livestock attack, litter and fly tipping.

"This year the Countryside Code has been reviewed and we have called on government in both Wales and England to include it in the national schools curricula. At the CLA, we’ve played a part in the creation of free teaching resources.”