Meeting documents

The LAF Members’ report was presented to the forum by Mr J Clark.

The following updates were highlighted:

The Slough Local Access Forum site meeting took place which Bucks LAF members were invited to attend. The meeting looked at a possible multi-user bridge between Black Park and Langley Park. No members were able to attend, but feedback was provided by Mr A Fowler, Head of County Parks. He had helpfully sketched a bridge for the papers, but suggested a bridge was likely to be prohibitively expensive, having to span four lanes of traffic and complicated by the fact Langley was a Grade II listed historic landscape.  The Chairman raised his concern and asked why had Slough met in Bucks and who would pay for a bridge.  Mr Clark explained many Slough residents accessed both Bucks Country Parks so they had an interest. A new bridge would likely be funded by any Slough growth into South Bucks, which had its own political sensitivities.

• There was a BBQ held at Black Park, attended by LAF Members Mr G Caspersz, Mr A Clark, Mrs Heath and Mr Worrell and hosted by LAF Member and Cabinet Member Mr B Chapple, to thank volunteers for their work in the county. Mr G Caspersz confirmed it was an excellent event, with opportunities to network and the park was well worth a visit. The Chairman suggested better notice would improve attendance next year.
• The National Land Access Centre had been launched by Natural England opened by Lord Blencathra at Aston Rowan, and attended by LAF Members, Mr Caspersz and Mr A Clark. A written guide was included in the appendix for members to visit at their leisure. All gates had been numbered and follow a set ‘course’.

·         Mr Caspersz asked if it was council policy to buy gates from only one supplier; how much was spent on gates per year; and what restricted the council installing more gates.  Mr Clark confirmed there was no set policy, but the company Centrewire Ltd were the leaders in gate design and delivered good value for money. However, their delivery time was slow. Centrewire gates were installed at the National Land Access Centre. The council spent around £20,000 to £25,000 per year on gates. The restriction on installations was officer time agreeing gate locations with landowners and undertaking utility searches, then having a workforce available to install the gates. However, the ramblers ‘RIPPLE’ volunteers did a great job installing one gate per week in North Bucks.

A member asked about different ways of funding new gates mentioned at the last meeting. Mr Clark confirmed the Donate?a?Gate Scheme in the south was very successful as was the North Bucks Donate-a-Gate Scheme run by RIPPLE, with both combining to contribute around £10,000 per year in private funding. It was confirmed Mr Caspersz was actually referring to new Government Legislation, post-Brexit, funding access, on the basis of landowners providing new or improved access, with rural payments made to reflect the public benefit. It was confirmed this was just a proposal at present.

RESOLVED: Members of the forum NOTED the report.