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Main Boards => General Walking Discussion => Topic started by: Toxicbunny on 07:45:42, 06/01/19

Title: Rights of way help
Post by: Toxicbunny on 07:45:42, 06/01/19
Hi,
I've reported a couple of issues on rights of way to my local council on more than one occasion and nothing has been done. Is there a higher body I can go to above the council to report these issues .any help appreciated.
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: sussamb on 08:38:23, 06/01/19
See here https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/improve-the-path-network/how-to-get-an-obstruction-removed.aspx

I issued my council the official forms a while ago, and as a result they removed numerous blockages on an obstructed ROW, and installed around 5 gates through fences etc.
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: Toxicbunny on 08:45:01, 06/01/19
Thank you  O0  I have reported the same issues since march last year and cannot access the walk still. The council in my area are lazy.
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: Walk666 on 14:17:32, 06/01/19
Hi,
I've reported a couple of issues on rights of way to my local council on more than one occasion and nothing has been done. Is there a higher body I can go to above the council to report these issues .any help appreciated.
I've come across a few blocked footpaths around my area, I must get around to reporting them, on one walk last week I had to backtrack miles because the right of way was blocked with a big barbed wire fence!
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: GnP on 14:26:27, 06/01/19
I sometimes wonder how things will look in the future with all the budget cuts that are occurring nowadays.
One thing I seem to notice is that counties with some really beautiful scenery & walks do not necessarily have the best signage or best kept stiles/bridges etc. Maybe the council culture does become lazy, & they think because the paths are so well used they must be obvious to walkers. It`s not always so, not to me anyway.
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: Walk666 on 14:33:29, 06/01/19
I sometimes wonder how things will look in the future with all the budget cuts that are occurring nowadays.
One thing I seem to notice is that counties with some really beautiful scenery & walks do not necessarily have the best signage or best kept stiles/bridges etc. Maybe the council culture does become lazy, & they think because the paths are so well used they must be obvious to walkers. It`s not always so, not to me anyway.
I absolutely agree, a few of the footpaths around where I live are not used very much if at all but I love to explore them, this is where I find the most problems with access. 
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: ninthace on 15:14:25, 06/01/19
I absolutely agree, a few of the footpaths around where I live are not used very much if at all but I love to explore them, this is where I find the most problems with access.
  Yes - I get the impression that Dorset is happy to neglect the SWCP, just re-routing it further inland as the cliffs crumble and the coastal golf courses seem to have priority rather than trying to reinstate.  Devon on the other hand is quite active in its care of the SWCP (except Horsey island!)
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: Walk666 on 16:25:37, 06/01/19
  Yes - I get the impression that Dorset is happy to neglect the SWCP, just re-routing it further inland as the cliffs crumble and the coastal golf courses seem to have priority rather than trying to reinstate.  Devon on the other hand is quite active in its care of the SWCP (except Horsey island!)
That's a shame, the SWCP is such an iconic route it should be kept in good order as should all the rights of way 
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: Mel on 14:08:25, 07/01/19
  Yes - I get the impression that Dorset is happy to neglect the SWCP, just re-routing it further inland as the cliffs crumble


Ahh, now then.  I've read something somewhere about this and something to do with the "pink wash" on OS maps for some coastal areas.  I'm almost certain that the idea is, that rather than trying to "shore up" the coastline to protect paths on the cliff tops, the local authority has an agreement with the landowners that they can be re-routed inland within the areas of the pink wash on the OS maps as/when the coast erodes to dangerous levels near the path, primarily for safety I think but also to allow for the ongoing maintenance and continuance of the England Coast Path.


If I get chance, I'll try to find a link or something to confirm that is what I actually read!



Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: inthebagbud on 06:30:45, 25/01/19
There is information here


 ?????://www.gov.uk/topic/outdoor-access-recreation/rights-of-way-open-access


on local access forums that may help


Where I have put ????? replace with https as I can post links
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: richardh1905 on 07:02:22, 25/01/19
Where I have put ??? ?? replace with https as I can post links



When you post, click on the globe symbol above the emojis to insert a working link.
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: barewirewalker on 10:08:57, 25/01/19
All councils were required by the 2000 CRoW act to have Local Access Forum. Though the names have been changed in some cases, I tried to find the LAF meeting minutes some years ago and they seemed to have ceased, shortly after I was dropped from the Shropshire LAF. It took a bit time to discover that the name had been changed to some sort of Great Outdoors Liaison Group and a new record of minutes were on line.
Our LAF had a public question time set into the agenda, some other LAFs have a public correspondence section in their agendas, you may not get far just send a specific footpath complaint in but if you phrase it as a general query about policy quoting facts it should be discussed and you should receive a reply based on the discussion.

I spent 5years on the Shropshire LAF, normal term is 2 years and re-selection, I found myself 'OFF toute suite', as soon as a hereditary landowner took the chair. But over those 5 years I was disappointed how little comment about the access network came from the users of it.
LAFs are supposed to advise the main body of council on matters related to local access so this is the political route into the decision making chamber and also where the bureaucracy, who administer it have to justify their performance in open meeting.
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: inthebagbud on 15:41:53, 25/01/19

When you post, click on the globe symbol above the emojis to insert a working link.



I think the issue is I'm too much of  a newbie and there will be a number of posts you have to  achieve before links are allowed
Title: Re: Rights of way help
Post by: happyhiker on 10:16:50, 26/01/19
It probably depends on the local authority. Some obviously more proactive than others. I had some positive outcomes from North Yorkshire CC recently. You could try reporting to:


https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/pathwatch-report-path-features-and-problems.aspx (https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/pathwatch-report-path-features-and-problems.aspx)