John Sanders, strategy and development director at Mersey Rivers Trust, which will lead on delivering the national river walk, said: “Over three million people live within a one-hour journey of the Mersey Valley Way, which is accessible by the Greater Manchester public transport Bee Network as well as walk, wheel and cycle routes.
“Designating the Mersey Valley Way will encourage more people to access nature as well as enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of spending time by the river.”
But Guy Shrubsole from the Right to Roam campaign said: “A promise to create just nine new river walks – when there are around 1,500 rivers in the UK – is totally inadequate and won’t help the vast majority of people in this country access nature.
“What’s more, ministers will discover it’s a logistical nightmare to negotiate access with the hundreds of owners of river banks.
“It would be much easier for the government to pass a new law giving the public a right of responsible access to rivers, river banks and the wider countryside,” he said.