EXMOOR National Park Authority could face a £207,000 bill just to get through the initial stages of the Government's proposed Countryside and Rights of Way Bill.

Individual landowners, farmers and local authorities could also have to fork out if the new Bill gets the go-ahead in order to comply with the legislation.

In some cases, new gates will have to be installed - between 100 and 150 will be needed in the national park alone - and new and existing footpaths accurately mapped and maintained.

The Bill has already cleared the Commons and is currently going through the House of Lords, subject to numerous amendments.

However, to date no mention has been made of any extra funding being put forward by the Government to help the national park or individuals meet the costs of implementing the legislation.

West Somerset's MP Tom King said he welcomed proposals to gave greater access to the countryside, but believed this particular Bill was simply too bureaucratic.

He told the Free Press: "If the Government is determined to go ahead with this, obviously they must agree to make a financial contribution towards its introduction.

"I think this whole Bill has turned into a nightmare. I don't think the Government realised just how complicated it was going to be - it is one thing to have a good idea but it is another trying to put it into legislation."

The aim of the Bill is to give people greater access to the countryside by opening up some four million acres of land, while in turn giving greater protection to wildlife.

In practice this will mean authorities and individuals will no longer have an automatic right to keep walkers off their land.

Instead, they wi2ll have to apply for temporary footpath diversions and land closures if, for example, the site is being used for lambing or if a rare bird is nesting there.

This will involve getting a licence and advertising any plans to close off a section of path or land. If the application is successful, literature will then have to be produced and distributed informing people of the closure and how and why they are affected.

Mr King said: "I have seen so many examples of these types of things turning into a bureaucratic nightmare of forms and different regulations for landowners, which simply makes the whole thing impossible.

"The Government has not taken into the account the costs involved and the whole idea is proving to be hugely complicated."

He said the cost of the Bill to Exmoor National Park Authority would be at least £1 million over five years, putting a huge strain on the authority's already stretched resources.

The park's head ranger, Bill Gurnett, said he remained hopeful that extra Government money would be available to cover the costs should the Bill become law.

He said: "I can't envisage this unless there is funding for it as it is quite a big bit of legislation to implement and manage.

"Landowners have got concerns about this because it is something new but, even if the legislation goes through, it could be three years before anyone comes down here and starts mapping out Exmoor."

Under proposals in the Bill, there would have to be a series of public consultations and a number of draft maps drawn up before any changes to land access were made.

Local authorities are also being given time to update their maps and records on rights-of-ways, while the Government is promising unspecified "safeguards" to ensure landowners' and farmers' livelihoods are not threatened by the legislation.

Mr Gurnett added: "The Bill also contains nature conservation aspects as well as rights-of-way, so that does mean there is a lot of complicated legislation tied up in it.

"The park's position is that we will work with the landowners and farmers to discuss how we will implement the Bill if and when it comes into force."

The park authority has already set up a Landowners' Forum to address concerns about the Bill.

However, Mr King remained sceptical about the rules and regulations being proposed.

He added: "I think the park's figures are an underestimate in my opinion and I know the Countryside Agency has great concerns about how this will work.

"A lot of the access we have now is voluntary and this Bill will introduce compulsory arrangements and licensed exemptions which, firstly, will cost a lot of money and, secondly, will lead to a lot of complications."

It has been estimated that just introducing the first stages of the new Bill as it stands would cost a minimum of £1.6 million in its first year for all of Britain's national parks.

On Exmoor, the public currently has access to some 60 per cent of the moor's 19,000 hectares. The new Bill would mean the remaining 40 per cent would have to opened up, mapped and maintained.

Mr Gurnett added: "All the extra land will have to be managed, between 100 and 150 gates put in, people have to be found to put the gates in, and we have got to get information about all of it. It all adds up."