The British Horse Society is lobbying hard, in England, for the 2026 deadline to be extended by 5 years until 2031, there is provision for such an extension in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
Any extension for a longer period would require new legislation something that would be hard to achieve at present. The Society’s Access Field Officers, Access and Bridleway Officers and 2026 Volunteers are currently working to save as many historical routes as possible from the cut off date but need more time to ensure that important routes are not extinguished. The link to the following petition proposes a ten year extension.