NATIONAL park leaders look set to make one of its greatest assets more attractive and accessible for a wider range of people.

The North York Moors National Park Authority will consider introducing the Miles Without Stiles route categorisation system to highlight a selection of routes without steps, stiles and steep gradients suitable for people with limited mobility, wheelchair users, families with pushchairs and young children and people with visual impairments.

The authority has a legal obligation under the Equality Act 2010 to remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristic, and to take steps to meet their needs.

A report to a meeting of the authority next week states offering a wider range of accessible routes with a clear grading system would improve the service for a wide range of users and ensure the authority continues to remove barriers and improve accessibility opportunities.

The move follows the government commissioned Glover Review of national parks last year finding a “huge appetite those faced with physical disabilities have for getting out into nature”, but it being made difficult by poorly designed countryside infrastructure.

Despite accessible routes being costly to maintain due to the higher surfacing standards, the authority has found its business plan target to add an additional 5km of easy access routes every year was not achievable or sustainable within current budgets.

However, the authority is considering categorising its easyt access routes, including ones in the Esk Valley, Runswick Bay, at Rosedale Mineral Railway, Staindale Lake in Dalby Forest, Sutton Bank and the White Horse and Cawthorn Camps as Miles Without Stiles routes to help users decide, in advance, whether the route is likely to be suitable for them or not.

For example, routes graded as suitable for everyone, including pushchairs and people operating their own wheelchairs would have to feature a gradient of no more than one in ten and a smooth, compacted stone surface.

Additionally, as many users such as those with hip or knee injuries, dementia, visual impairments, parents with pushchairs and even people with large or older dogs are unable to use stiles, all stile-free promoted routes will be clearly identified on the website.

The report concludes: “This approach makes better use of existing routes, and allows routes to be maintained at an appropriate and achievable standard based on the type of terrain.