Meeting documents

To confirm the minutes from the meeting held on 08 March 2017.

The minutes of the meeting held on 08 March 2017 were agreed as an accurate record.

Matters Arising

Mr B Worrell gave an update on Item 4- Kent permit system-

The Permit System

Administered by the Rights of Way department.
No charge as they don’t want any excuse for not applying.
Permit Application available on line on Kent website.
Generally uses combination locks with a physical barrier.
What is interesting is that physical barriers still allow track bikes to get through but as they are perceived to cause no more damage that horses, a blind eye is turned, unless they go off the track line and cause damage.  It is recognised that the track bikes and quad bikes are still illegal and the PCSO (see below) will have a word.
Some minor issues of locks being ground off.
Some users have given out the combination to other users.
But they have to sign a Code of Conduct which prohibits this.
Permit can be rescinded if any infringement of the Code, including not keeping to the track, etc.
There has been an improved detection rate of abuse and users are respecting the Permit system.
More users are again using the route including walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

There is some policing of the specific Rights of Way:
In one case there is a PCSO funded through partner contributions (including the police themselves) who also carries out other duties and applies the Road Traffic Act to offenders.
The Rights of Way department will perform occasional inspections usually at a time when there is likely to be unauthorised use.
Also the Permit Application is undergoing a revision to allow sharing of information with the police, particularly as they are involved in the policing of the routes.

There are three specific routes which have been the subject of abuse.

The first one initially started with an ETRO as an experiment.
There were 107 landowners along this route and the fields and woods had been sold off in ‘leisure plots’, several who were no longer alive, and so there was no control or stewardship.  The 4x4s were all over land, fly tipping was the norm, burnt out stolen vehicles, and real damage to the surfaces.  The Permit allowed the reporting of misuse and a large majority of the landowners got together and become a community with control and stewardship.  Many other users are using the route again and the Council spent some money re-instating the surface to withstand legitimate users/permits.

The second was part of a National Trail and had residents at one end who were fed up with the anti-social behaviour.  The permit stopped fly tipping and users now keep to the route.  I think this is the one with the funded PCSO.

The third one had a clay undelay and was remote.  The 4x4s caused real damage to the under-surface with large deep ruts full of water both on and off the route.  There were a large number of U-Tube clips recording the ‘fun’ the drivers were having.  The permit system brought back control and is in an area patrolled by a PCSO.  The Council spent nearly £100,000 in repairs to put what was there with some improvements to the surface to with stand the permitted use.  There is now a wider community use and is seen to be very successful on what was a difficult remote site.

Agreed the scheme is not 100% successful , but seen to be a major improvement for all concerned with the exception of the rouge 4x4 users who are now dealt with and have faded away, including a regular contingent from the continent.

Horse carriage drivers largely accept the improvements which include Kent Gaps along with combination locks where required.  In addition, disability users are now using the routes, some with RADA keys.

Graham made the point that they tend not to exclude quad and track bikes on the basis that they cause no more damage than a horse.  Also, the community now have control and the permit system gives them that legitimacy.

The Chairman thanked Mr Worrell for the update.