Local Access Forum
Thursday 27 June 2013 6.30 pm
ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD
LOCAL ACCESS FORUM MEETING MINUTES
27 June 2013
ATTENDANCE LIST
| Name | Interest area |
| Peter Thorn | Chairman, Land Management |
| Harry Hancock | Vice Chairman, Walking, Open Spaces |
| Councillor Beer | Walking, Cycling, Old Windsor Parish Council |
| Nigel Boden (on behalf of Lynn Cassells) Margaret Cubley Hilary Essen | National Trust Bisham Parish Council Walking, Health Issues, East Berks Ramblers |
| John Foulger Christine Gadd Julie Mason | Bray Parish Walking, cycling Walking, Strategy & Marketing |
| Andrew Randall Phil Smith Joanne Stickland | Land Management Walking, East Berks Ramblers Datchet Parish Council |
 | |
| Annie English | Berkshire Local Nature Partnership |
| Andrew Fletcher | Local Access Forum Secretary |
| Tanya Leftwich | Clerk to the Forum |
OBSERVERS
| Mark Abbotts Alan Keene Annie Keene | Bracknell Forest LAF Resident of the Royal Borough Resident of the Royal Borough |
| Richard Mosses Ray Sharp | Bracknell Forrest LAF Mid & West Berkshire LAF |
APOLOGIES
Name
Dorothy Allard
Lynn Cassells
Sara Church
Christopher Westacott
ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD
LOCAL ACCESS FORUM
27 June 2013
MINUTES
LOCAL ACCESS FORUM
27 June 2013
MINUTES
| | ACTION |
| 1 | Welcome, Apologies and Introductions, Declarations of Interest | |
| The Chairman Peter Thorn welcomed everyone to the twenty-eighth meeting of the Local Access Forum. Apologies for Absence were received from Dorothy Allard, Lynn Cassells, Sara Church and Christopher Westacott. The Forum approved the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 December 2012. Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that he was currently sourcing suitable sticker prices to go onto the finger signs in the Royal Borough and that whilst he had looked into the possibility of adding the footpath numbers to the signs it had been decided that this could cause more confusion than good. Andrew Fletcher explained that the stickers could be added to the finger signs by the East Ramblers Association and the Council as and when they were in the applicable locations. Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that he had emailed the Community Safety Manager, Brian Martin, the contact details of the local farmers who had requested that their details be passed onto Community Wardens. It was noted that all forum recommendations with regard to the milestone statement and targets 2013/14 had been accepted by the Rights of Way and Highways Licensing Panel With regard to the public rights of way booklet review Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that updates would be send to Peter Thorn, Hilary Essen and Julie Mason whilst the final proof would be distributed to the Forum. Andrew Fletcher explained that the farming and ploughing leaflet had been produced in March and had been well received. It was noted that the East Berkshire Ramblers had requested paper copies. With regard to Easy Going Routes it was noted that the mini maps had been produced in May and the Windsor Great Park Easy Going Route leaflet was waiting to be printed. | |
| 2 | Members’ Update | |
| Hillary Essen informed the Forum that the Park Department of the Council had recently published some very useful leaflets about short walks although she had found that they were not so easy to find electronically on the RBWM website. It was suggested that links be placed on the Forum web pages to the RBWM parks leaflets. It was agreed that Andrew Fletcher would liaise with the RBWM parks team to see if the parks leaflets and the public rights of way leaflets could be made available on the same page. The Forum RECOMMENDED to the Council that the parks leaflets be updated with text that includes contact details for more information or how to report a problem. | AF AF AF |
| 3 | Disabled access in the countryside | |
| The RBWM Access Officer, Lynne Penn, explained that access in the public realm fell under her remit. It was noted that the public realm encompassed transport, footpaths, footways and all public buildings. Lynne Penn went onto explain that the Disability Discrimination Act had been replaced and strengthened by the Equality Act. It was noted that a social model of responsibility needed to offer solutions and needed to be able to be understood by someone with learning difficulties. An example was given from the countryside perspective where a statutory right of access on foot ‘the right to roam’ covered approximately 10% of England. Lynne Penn explained that sections 60 and 69 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 looked at the application to the Royal Borough with regard to accessibility and also the needs for disabled people (e.g. the replacement of styles, etc). Lynne Penn informed everyone present that there were currently 11 million disabled people in the UK and that one in five people experienced a disability of some sort in their lifetime. It was noted that disability had an effect on day to day life/business/activities. Lynne Penn explained that there were a growing number of people with cognitive issues such as dementia and alzheimer’s and that wheelchair users faced some of the biggest access barriers. Lynne Penn explained that a number of things needed to be done in order to encourage more people out into the countryside which were as follows:
b) Access to parking. c) Access to public transport. d) Access to toilets. Lynne Penn showed everyone present what a RADAR key looked like and explained that these keys gained access to all the public toilets in the Royal Borough and were part of a national scheme. e) Access to information on the RBWM site (e.g. waymarks). f) Feedback from users (things to improve). Hilary Essen informed Lynne Penn that extra publicity of where to get the RADAR keys was needed as she had met up with a lady in Bourne End whose key had not worked and she had been unaware of where to get a replacement key. Lynne Penn explained that RADAR keys could be distributed by the Town Hall or could be posted out to people on request. Andrew Fletcher informed everyone present that there were a few RADAR gates on the Thames Path and that the key allowed the gates to be fully opened so that they were temporarily no longer kissing gates. It was noted that Andrew Fletcher had, to date, not had any problems reported of people not putting the gates back as they had found them. John Foulger explained that some of the gates were beyond the use of wheelchair users and that there was also a need for more dropped kerbs in Maidenhead, for example one was needed opposite the Bear Hotel. Lynne Penn informed John Foulger that there was an ongoing programme of work (to the infrastructure) taking place which was going to take a little time to complete. It was noted that Lynne Penn’s team did audit areas such as hospitals, school areas and elderly homes and also reacted to calls received. Lynne Penn explained that any reports of obstructed paths, etc would go directly to the Public Rights of Way team who would consult her and her team when required. | |
| 4 | The Berkshire Local Nature Partnership | |
| Annie English gave the Forum a short presentation on the Berkshire Local Nature Partnership (BLNP) which had recently been set up in November 2012. A copy was available on request from the Clerk. The presentation covered the following:
What is Biodiversity? What’s the problem? Nature is now on the agenda. The Local Nature Partnership. What drives us? The role of the LNP. How we can work with the LAF. A shared vision for Biodiversity – a joint conference on the 28 September 2013 at 550 Restaurant, Oracle, Reading RG6 1RA which cost £10 per person. To book your place please contact Annie English Annie@BerkshireLNP.org Peter Thorn thanked Annie English for her presentation and asked what the Forum could do to help the BLNP. Annie English informed the Forum that the BLNP were not currently doing anything in the Royal Borough as they had only been running since November 2012. It was noted that Annie English planned to put together a work plan and also come up with some fundraising ideas. Peter Thorn explained that it was key to make people aware on what they were walking through, the benefits of walking (mental and physical wellbeing) and also making walking interesting to families. It was requested that all project ideas be sent to Annie English who would then put the Royal Borough in touch with organisations with similar ideas. | |
| 5 | Membership update | |
| General Forum membership Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that three new members had joined (Phil Smith, Joanne Stickland and Phil Jackson) and that Teja Bains was no longer contactable and had been removed from the membership list. Andrew Fletcher went onto explain that all memberships, bar the three new members, had since lapsed and that re-appointment letters would be sent out shortly. It was noted that a Chairman and Vice-Chairman would need to be appointed at the meeting in December and that anyone interested in either of these posts should email Andrew Fletcher. LAF Fast Response Team membership Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that a small group of people formed the LAF Fast Response Team which was designed to comment on requests for advice via email between Forum meetings. It was noted that the terms of reference required a balanced group and if anyone was willing to be part of the Fast Response Team they should email Andrew Fletcher as soon as possible. Phil Smith stated that he would be willing to be part of the Fast Response Team. | All All AF |
| 6 | LAF annual report | |
| Approval of draft annual report The Forum approved the text of the annual report for publication. Completion of NE report pro-forma The Forum delegated Peter Thorn and Harry Hancock, in conjunction with Andrew Fletcher, to complete and submit the Natural England pro-forma on behalf of the Forum. Andrew Fletcher gave the Forum a brief presentation about ‘A snapshot of recent achievements’ which was available on request from the Clerk. It was noted that the presentation covered the multi-user routes, horse margins, volunteers, easy going routes, LAF website and the ploughing and farming leaflet. Peter Thorn thanked Andrew Fletcher, Anthony Hurst and the team for all their hard work, which was echoed by the Forum. | AF / PT AF / PT / HH |
| 7 | Multi-use paths | |
| Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that Sara Church was unable to make the meeting but had kindly emailed him a briefing note which he updated the Forum with. It was noted that following on from the positive response to the Jubilee (Eton Wick) multi-use trial route, Sara Church believed the Forum should look at creating other multi-use paths where possible. It was also noted that on behalf of a number of local riders and the British Horse Society, Sara Church had spoken to Sharon Wootton (PROW) about the routes riders currently used South of the River Thames area. Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that a number of route suggestions and new links had been passed to Sharon with the aim to create linked routes around the area. Hilary Essen informed Andrew Fletcher that the current code of conduct displayed on the Multi-use route asked users to listen out for bicycle bells. However she was hard of hearing and explained that hearing aids were not designed for that type of use. Harry Hancock endorsed Hilary Essen’s comments. It was requested that Andrew Fletcher asked the Council’s Insurance and Risk team for advice about who would be liable in the event of an accident on a multi-use path. | AF |
| 8 | Information about public rights of way | |
| Julie Mason explained that with regard to the latest waymark journal people these days tended to have smartphones with GPS settings, etc and that information on walks, footpaths, etc could be stored and accessed via QR codes. Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that the list of available information could be found in Appendix A on pages 23-25 of the agenda. Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that whilst they did have the definitive statement and the definitive map his teams resources were still limited. It was noted that as a LA the Forum could not use the mobile friendly maps. The Forum RECOMMENDED that investigations begin towards improving the provision of information about public rights of way on the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead website. Andrew Fletcher to liaise with Julie Mason towards coming up with basic template. | AF / JM |
| 9 | Conference feedback | |
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Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that the National LAF Conference had been organised by Natural England and had been held at the Holiday Inn in Sheffield. It was noted that Peter Thorn had attended the conference as a delegate on behalf of the Forum. Peter Thorn explained that he believed there was a distinct advantage to being part of a small authority as it meant you could influence more ‘on the ground’. Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that a joint LAF letter between Slough Borough Council and RBWM had resulted in a meeting taking place where it was agreed that the cycle way in Ditton Park would be improved. It was agreed that Andrew Fletcher would make contact with the local Health and Wellbeing Board and investigate whether a member of the LAF could join as a representative.
Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that the SE LAF Conference had concentrated on seven main areas of discussion which were as follows:
2. Ministry of Defence Access and Recreation Policy and Practice Richard Brooks, Senior Environmental Advisor (Access & Recreation), Defence Infrastructure Organisation, MOD 3. Smartphone Scanning Technology and mobile websites Andrew Kerry-Bedell, MD, Mobi-Scan
Due to a technical error it was agreed that Andrew Fletcher would send the Forum links to the seven presentations he had attempted to show. | AF AF |
| 10 | LAF Monitoring items | |
| (a) Easy going routes Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that the Windsor Great park leaflet had been sent to the Council’s Digital Media Services for printing and should be available at the beginning of July 2013. It was noted that the web pages were in development and would follow the template used by the Cookham Easy Going Route. Andrew Fletcher explained that it expected that this would be completed by the end of August 2013. Andrew Fletcher stated that following the recommendation by the Forum on 06 December 2012 the Cookham Easy Going Route walkthrough had been updated to include mini “thumbnail” maps which showed the location where the photograph was taken. (b) Volunteer works Andrew Fletcher explained that the Council continued to engage and work with The Conservation Volunteers (formerly BTCV) and the Windsor and Maidenhead Conservation Volunteers (WMCV). It was noted that most recently the TCV had spent an extra day building steps along Bisham Footpath 3, which was carried over from last year when works had to be cancelled due to the bad weather. Andrew Fletcher went onto explain that a second day on the 20 June was arranged by the TCV in the same area as part of a corporate away day project and approximately 30 people were involved. It was noted that this work included building additional steps, installing a handrail, continuing the revetment repair along Bisham Footpath 4 and general vegetation clearance. The Forum was informed that the materials needed for the works were funded by the Council. Andrew Fletcher explained that unfortunately WMCV had not been able to offer any work days in their summer schedule this year but it was hoped that some days would be available from the autumn schedule. Andrew Fletcher went onto explain that in addition to the volunteer groups the Public Rights of Way team had been working with the Council’s Community Safety team to organise path works via the Community Payback Scheme (CPS). It was noted that ditch clearance work had been conducted along Sunningdale Footpath 13 and an additional two days of revetment work had been conducted by the CPS in April and May this year. Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that further works were being investigated with the Community Safety Team for September and October 2013. (c) LAF members’ discussion forum Andrew Fletcher informed the Forum that the LAF online forum could be found at http://groupspaces.com/rbwm-laf/ It was noted that this forum had been designed to facilitate communication and discussion between the forum members in between the formal meetings and forum members were encouraged to contribute and be engaged with the site. It was noted that currently the Forum was heavily dependent on officer support to operate but it was hoped that the LAF online forum would help the Forum to become more active and independent. Andrew Fletcher explained that experience since the last Forum meeting on 06 December 2012 had showed activity on the site from a minority of LAF members. Andrew Fletcher asked the Forum how he could encourage take-up of the site and also what barriers might be in existence that could be preventing members from using it. It was noted that in addition to this there was a greater use of the “Huddle” system provided by Natural England, with questions and debates between LAF members nationally. Andrew Fletcher requested that members provide their opinion about the most effective way the Forum could be involved in these debates. | All All |
| 11 | Date of Next Meeting | |
| The date of the next meeting of the Local Access Forum was confirmed as being on Tuesday 03 December. The meeting which started at 6.30pm, ended at 8.40pm. | |