How many miles away from your home would you class as local?

[Lockdowner35]

As there are debates about what classes as local.

I would say maybe 7-10 miles away

As far as you can walk, cycle or ride a horse from your home. Without any part of the journey being in a car or on public transport.

As the Belgians do.

For exercise anywhere starting and finishing at home. That's further for cycling than it is for walking and I'll probably stick to a 10 mile or so radius rather than e.g. cycling 25 miles out in a straight line and 25 miles back again.

In normal times I do weekly big shop 14 miles away and nearest A&E is twelve miles away. There is a One Stop type shop closer, but it's literally milk and chain brand basics. On the other hand that does mean beautiful open countryside is also very close to the front door!

DH cycled 200 miles one day last summer. From our front door. it's the sort of thing he does.

Surely it depends where you live and how rural you are. Our nearest hospital is 30 miles away! Our nearest McDonald’s is 20 miles. Nearest supermarket is 15 miles. If you’re rural local isn’t that local really!

Since the Guidance already says
you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space
Then it is already allowed to travel for exercise in an open space.

The police and Matt Hancock need reminding of the Guidance.

@lazeeboy

The Guidance says • outdoor exercise. This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space)

I can justify driving 15 miles for a supermarket but not to go for a walk, as I have lovely walks just outside the village. I may drive to the top of the nearest big hill to do so though! The little lanes would be hell for drivers if everyone walked them. However, if I was already 15 miles away visiting the supermarket, I don't see the harm in going for a walk along the seafront while I'm there (not that I have done).

There's no law, I'll base my behaviour on logic and practicality.

@Bagelsandbrie

Surely it depends where you live and how rural you are. Our nearest hospital is 30 miles away! Our nearest McDonald’s is 20 miles. Nearest supermarket is 15 miles. If you’re rural local isn’t that local really!

Yes exactly! Local means different things depending on where your 'local' services are.

I think this depends almost entirely on whether you have a car or not.

@hamsterchump

Legally you can go as far as you want and as often as you want as long as you leave your home under a "reasonable excuse" so it's really up to you. You can read the legislation yourself online.

I know the legislation very well. But the spirit of the lockdown is to stop transmission, so rather than be a dick and look for loopholes so I can travel to my next town, I’m staying local.

2 miles for me. I class local as wherever I can get to easily on foot.
Cycling would be 5, driving 10.
But I'm a homebody.

@MargeryMcLatchie

The government needs to inform the police forces that 7 miles is acceptable for excersise then. So they stop fining people for being five miles from home. Bojo's recent behaviour runs salt in the wound and makes him look like an even bigger plonked than normal.

Plonker

Your constituency? Which would be larger in rural areas than cities but should include similar populations and services?

Rural areas mean people have close access to lots of open outdoor spaces but have to travel further for shops and medical services. Urban places mean people have those facilities near by, but have to travel further to access open green spaces. I think it's equally unreasonable to suggest rural dwellers have to walk down unpavemented A roads to get to an exercise space as it is to expect city dwellers to only walk around concrete built up heavily populated streets.

Both groups, and those in between, should understand the different needs of others and why a blanket mile based rule doesn't work for a country like this.

Dds secondary is around 10 miles away. So if that’s our “local” school...

@ceeveebee Glad to hear you've read the legislation, well done. However many haven't and so aren't aware that it differs from the guidance. I'm sure we can both agree that ignorance benefits no one?

[quote Fieldofyellowflowers]@MargeryMcLatchie

The government needs to inform the police forces that 7 miles is acceptable for excersise then. So they stop fining people for being five miles from home. Bojo's recent behaviour runs salt in the wound and makes him look like an even bigger plonked than normal.[/quote]
Isn't it just unbelievable that the police can't be relied upon to even glance over the legislation they're meant to enforce?

10 miles.

10ish. In terms of Boris (i am no fan) if he actually set off from his home to go to the Olympic park I think it's reasonable. If you want reasonable exercise on a bike then you will cover a few miles at least.

If it was a city I’d think 5 miles perhaps?
I live in a city. In some directions 5 miles would take me out of the city, in others to areas of the city I have never been to, neither of which feels local to me. So probably more like 3 miles for me.

Agree local is kind of subjective. I feel like up to about 20 miles is reasonably local. Within 10 miles is very local. Up to 5 is "on the doorstep".

Actually @hamsterchump given the situation we are in, I would rather that people just followed the guidelines regardless of whether it is legally enforceable, and not look for ways to flex the rules all the time. Just because something is legal doesn’t make it morally right.

My nearest supermarket is 7 miles away, but I have choice of 5 at that distance in different directions. So I’d say 7 miles for me.

It’s hard. I live in a village in the middle of nowhere and have to travel at least 8-10 miles to shop. We are fortunate there is lots of green space locally so don’t have to travel to exercise.

when you live in the middle of nowhere you have to add several miles on to shop, see a doctor, go to a hospital etc.

I live 3 miles from a beach. We don’t go often but it would be ridiculous to say I couldn’t drive there surely?