Decision details
Decision Maker: Corporate Director Planning, Growth and Sustainability
Decision status: For Determination
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
To create a Public Right of Way [bridleway] at
Keep Hill Woods, High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire.
Reasons for the decision:
It is proposed to create a new Public
Bridleway through an area of
Buckinghamshire Council owned woodland to connect an existing
Public Bridleway into the
wider highway network; I have enclosed a copy of the Proposed Plan
at Appendix 1. The route
is also subject to discussions around using s106 money from nearby
developments and Active
Travel England funding, to resurface the route.
A plan is enclosed of the rights of way network, with footpaths
shown with black dashed
lines (Appendix 2). Bridleway HWU/67/1 is technically a dead-end
route on the definitive
map, falling 122m short of the adopted highway. However, a route
has been available to the
public for at least 120 years, according to our records.
Marked in red (Appendix 3) is the bridleway connection needed on
council land ‘New
Bridleway link [council land]’ and in blue on private land
with no registered owner ‘New
Bridleway link [no ownership]’ to connect to Warren Wood
Drive. A notice has been
displayed on site for 28 days calling the landowner to come forward
and no response has
been received. A section 26 Highways Act 1980 creation Order will
be required to connect
the blue section of bridleway with the nearest highway –
Warren Wood Drive.
An officer has been on site and confirmed there is no work
necessary to bring the route into
effect. The route is already signposted as bridleway from Warren
Wood Drive and the
council has been maintaining the surface as though the route is
already a public bridleway.
The future maintenance of the route as a Public Right of Way will
fall to the Rights of Way
Operations Team as part of the existing budget envelope. The width
of the route will be a
minimum of 5 metre.
Alternative options considered:
Failure to record the route on the
definitive
map could lead to uncertainty of the publics’ right to use
the bridleway, with a risk that the
public may lose rights of access should these be challenged in
future. Processing the
agreement now will also save officer time and council resources
investigating evidence
through the DMMO process, should a claim be made. Further, in its
recorded state, with a
minimum width, the public’s rights are protected should the
neighbours seek to take adverse
possession of the land.
Wards Affected: Abbey; Ryemead & Micklefield;
Details of any conflict of interest declared: There are no known conflicts of interest.
Contact: John Reed, Director of Property & Assets Email: John.Reed@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.
Publication date: 15/03/2024
Date of decision: 14/03/2024
Accompanying Documents: