Defra has named the 21‑kilometre Mersey Valley Way as England’s first National River Walk, following an announcement on 27 December 2025 led by Access Minister Baroness Hayman. The route runs from Stockport through Manchester to Trafford and is the first of nine planned walks across England’s regions.
The designation is framed as a practical access scheme rather than a new legal right. Defra says new signage will identify the route, a logo competition involving more than 50 local schools and youth groups will conclude in February, and sections of the existing riverside path will be upgraded for wheelchair, mobility scooter, pram, cycling and equestrian use. No funding total was set out in the notice.
Delivery will be led by Mersey Rivers Trust working with Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, City of Trees, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, The Conservation Volunteers and Groundwork Greater Manchester, with support from Manchester City Council and Trafford Council. Community activity will include guided walks and volunteering on pond restoration, invasive species control and targeted tree planting.
The announcement sits within the government’s revised Environmental Improvement Plan and Plan for Change. The EIP sets a specific commitment to create nine National River Walks, one in each English region, and to consult during this Parliament on an Access to Nature Green Paper, including options to strengthen access rights and consider unregulated waterways.
Officials highlight inclusion goals, noting that people on lower incomes are less likely to visit nature and citing around 30,000 low‑income households in Stockport. The route is reachable by Greater Manchester’s Bee Network of buses and trams, with local rail services beginning to join the network from December 2026, improving public transport connections to the riverside path.
Ministerial accountability rests with Baroness Hayman, whose portfolio includes access, rights of way and coastal paths. The department’s notice also links the scheme to regeneration by increasing visitor footfall for local businesses along the corridor.
On the ground, the programme points to surface, gradient and width improvements and clearer wayfinding where existing paths fall short, alongside step‑free access where feasible. The language of the notice focuses on upgrading existing routes rather than opening new riverbank sections, indicating a standards‑led approach at this stage.
Maintenance responsibilities remain with local highway authorities, which have statutory duties to record and keep public rights of way open; partners will add signage and engagement rather than replace those legal obligations. Natural England’s guidance details these duties, including maintaining surfaces, removing obstructions and signing where a right of way leaves a metalled road.
Defra says the next tranche of National River Walks will be selected through a competitive process opening in 2026. The forthcoming prospectus is expected to set out selection criteria and delivery expectations for partnerships seeking designation.
The access programme sits alongside new National Forests. Defra confirmed the Western Forest in March and a second forest in the Oxford–Cambridge corridor in November, with a competition for a third due in early 2026. These moves, referenced in the EIP, reinforce the government’s emphasis on nature recovery and public access.