To seek the Panel’s approval for the “Milestones Statement 2017/18”, which sets out the Council’s objectives, priorities, targets and service standards for public rights of way work in the coming year.

 

 

Appendix 1 – ‘Milestones Statement and Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan Annual Review 2017/18’.

The Chairman asked the Parks and Countryside Team Leader to outline the report to the Panel.

 

The Parks and Countryside Team Leader explained to Members that the report sought the Panel’s approval for the “Milestones Statement and Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan Annual Review 2017/18” attached in Appendix 1 which set out the Council’s objectives, priorities, targets and service standards for public rights of way work in the coming year and the resources available for delivering this service. 

 

Members were informed that the Local Access Forum had considered the Milestones Statement ‘Targets’, ‘Priorities’ and ‘Service Standards’ at its meeting held on 11 November 2016, and made the following recommendations.  The Panel went through each target and agreed the following for 2017/18: 

 

Well Maintained

 

WM 1: To ensure that all public rights of way are easy to use by members of the public. (This is the former Best Value Performance Indicator for public rights of way). Target: 95%.

 

The LAF had recommended keeping this target at 95% to which the Panel agreed.

 

WM 2:  To carry out major surface improvements/ vegetation clearance on 10   public rights of way.

 

The LAF had recommended to keep this target at 10 paths to which the Panel agreed.

 

WM3:To repair or replace 5 bridges.

 

The LAF had recommended to keep this target at 5 bridges to which the Panel agreed.

 

Legally Defined

 

The Panel agreed to remove LD1:  To actively progress a minimum of 4 applications to add public rights of way to the definitive map, including resolving significant errors in the map, as suggested by the LAF.

  

Well Publicised

 

WP1: To produce 1 new Parish rights of way leaflet.

 

The LAF had recommended to increase this target to 2 new Parish rights of way leaflets, the Panel agreed to keep the target at 1.

 

WP2: To assist others to produce effective promotional material: a minimum of 1 new or updated publication.

 

The LAF had recommended to keep this target at 1 new or updated publication to which the Panel agreed.

 

Improving Access and Connectivity

 

AC1: Create 1 new strategic path, either public right of way or permitted, to fill identified gaps in the public rights of way network.

 

The LAF had recommended tokeep this target at 1 new path to which the Panel agreed subject to the following wording being added  as/when opportunities arise.

The Chairman congratulated the officers involved and Ward Councillors (specifically Councillor Hilton) that pushed for the new path from Ascot High Street to Ascot Station.

 

AC2: To make 15 physical access improvements, including the replacement of stiles with gates or gaps, to facilitate use by those with special needs, the elderly, people with pushchairs etc.

 

The LAF had recommended tokeep this target at 15 physical access improvements to which the Panel agreed.

 

Enforcement

 

EN 1: To resolve 10 enforcement issues.

 

The LAF had recommended tochange the target to a Service Standard ‘resolve all new enforcement cases within 3 months’ to which the Panel agreed.

 

2.Priorities for 2017/18

 

The LAF had recommended tochange the existing priority to: “Improvements: seek improvements and additions to the network to enhance connectivity for horse riders, cyclists and people restricted mobility” to which the Panel agreed.

 

The LAF had recommended tochange the existing priority to “Liaise with landowners and occupiers on all public rights of way matters, including updating and advising landowners on changes in legislation and encouraging the establishment of permitted routes” to which the Panel agreed.

 

3.Service Standards for 2017/18

 

The LAF, following a suggestion from William Emmett, had recommended replacing the existing enforcement Service Standard with the following procedure, to which the Panel agreed:  

 

Use powers:

 

To enforce and remove any obstructions to the public rights of way network within three months of inspection, and enforce compliance with the Rights of Way Act 1990 (ploughing etc.) within 6 weeks of inspection [replace “within 6 weeks of inspection” with “in accordance with the Council’s Ploughing and Cropping procedure below”], and give consideration to all available statutory powers including prosecutions where appropriate.

 

 

 

 

Ploughing and cropping procedure:

 

1. Make first contact with farmer via telephone and email (with a read receipt) to explain the report or issue. This telephone call and email should agree the date with the farmer for the resolution of the issue based upon the statutory 14 day deadline. Explain that if the works are not done by this deadline the issue will be reported to the Rural Payments Agency.

 

2. Take the 14 day deadline from the date that the farmer is first contacted by the Council. Where necessary, agree an extension of this deadline for up to 28 days, for example where ground conditions do not allow proper reinstatement within the normal 14 day period.

 

3. Request the farmer to contact RBWM when the reinstatement works have been done, if possible providing photographic evidence. If the agreed deadline has not been met, the breach of regulations should then be reported to the Rural Payments Agency

 

4. If the path has not been cleared and the path reinstated by the stated deadline the Council arranges for a contractor to clear the path and reinstate the surface (as required) and the cost of these works is re-charged to the farmer. This issue is then closed.

 

In the ensuing discussion the following points were noted:

 

v  Hurley Parish Council had submitted the following comment:

“The Milestones Statement was discussed at last week’s Hurley Parish Council meeting and our response is broadly supportive. Whilst the council understands and applauds the setting of targets we suggest that given the limited resources of the team, the specific targeted items should be interchangeable should the need arise. The council also welcomed the initiative to work closer with the Parish Councils”.

v  Cox Green Parish Council had submitted the following comment:

“This Council supports the priorities, targets and standards as supplied”.

v  Members were referred to the list of achievements of the Milestones Targets 2016/17 which could be found on page 41 of the agenda.

v  Members were referred to the budgets on page 26 of the agenda – it was noted that the main revenue (£60,000) and capital budgets (£20,000 Rights of Way general & £40,000 Rights of Way bridges) were different from last year although the total amount was the same (last year the Rights of Way general budget had been £40,000 and the Rights of Way bridges budget had been £20,000). 

v  That the Revenue budget covered work such an annual vegetation clearance, contract of programmed works, and additional reactive works such as clearance of fallen trees and branches from public rights of way.

v  That the Capital budget (Rights of Way general) covered work such as surface improvements or repairs to  public rights of way that have become eroded, rutted or poached, and access improvements such as replacement of step-stiles with more accessible gates.

v  That there was a Highways budget (£250k) that was assigned for bridge strengthening  and £40,000 had been  allocated from this budget  for work on ROW bridges.

v  That a request for additional funding from another budget could be made if needed for emergency or safety work.

v  That the Parks and Countryside Team arranged clearance of fallen trees across public ROW / countryside paths, rather than the Streetcare Team.  It was noted that the Streetcare Team referred people to the Parks and Countryside Team if they received requests / reports of fallen treesacross the path network 

v  That the ROW budgets were flexible and could be interchanged if needed.  It was agreed that the Parks and Countryside Team Leader would add a footnote to the Milestones Targets to this effect.

v  That if a Utility Company damaged a public ROW they would be responsible for repairing the damage and for reporting it to the Council before any work took place.

v  That the Public Rights of Way Officer, Andrew Fletcher, had a list of contact details for farmers in the Royal Borough.

 

The Chairman encouraged Members to attend the Local Access Forum if they were available as she had found the meetings to be very informative and very helpful.  It was agreed that the Clerk circulate the LAF meeting dates to the Panel and electronic copies of the agendas be sent to the Panel via Mod.Gov.

 

RESOLVED: Unanimously that the Panel approved the “Milestones Statement and Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan Annual Review 2017/18” subject to the removal of LD1, for AC1 to read ‘Create 1 new strategic path, either public right of way or permitted, to fill identified gaps in the public rights of way network as/when opportunities arise’.  That EN1 bechanged to a Service Standard to read ‘resolve all new enforcement cases within 3 months’.  That Priorities for 2017/18 be changed to “Improvements: seek improvements and additions to the network to enhance connectivity for horse riders, cyclists and people restricted mobility” and to “Liaise with landowners and occupiers on all public rights of way matters, including updating and advising landowners on changes in legislation and encouraging the establishment of permitted routes”.  To replace the Service Standard “within 6 weeks of inspection” with “in accordance with the Council’s Ploughing and Cropping procedure”.

 

The Chairman, on behalf of the Panel, thanked the Principal Rights of Way Officer and his team for all their hard work and dedication.