Agenda item

To be presented by Helen Francis, Interim Definitive Map and Highways Searches Team Leader; Jonathan Clark, Strategic Access Officer; and Joanne Taylor, Rights of Way Operations Team Leader

Mr J Clark gave an update on the Aylesbury Gardenway, a proposed orbital park and cycleway around Aylesbury. A report and design brief of the 9 delivery parcels was due to be completed and they were due to start engagement with developers and landowners. The design brief would be shared with members once it was published. Concern was raised over the exclusion of horse-riders from the Gardenway. Mr J Clark explained that they were aware of this issue and the ambition for the Gardenway was to have an open route for horse riders, however it is unlikely that the designation of a bridleway would be achievable on the whole route. Brian Worrell, British Driving Society Beds, Bucks, and Herts, raised the concern that signage would not include horse riders.

Safety concerns were raised over the Cryers Hill Route with no public footpath, causing pedestrians to walk in the road. It was explained that significant investment had been put into developing a footway along the A4010, however the funding was not available for footpaths along every A road and work was being prioritised. The budget for road safety had increased, however priority was being identified using Police data. It was noted that Members had identified the Cryers Hill route as top priority, due to the deterioration of the existing footway.

Joanne Taylor, Rights of Way Operations Team Leader, gave an update on the Rights of Way (ROW) Operations Team. The BVPI Rights of Way Condition Survey was being undertaken to test 5% of the network. A majority of the survey was completed by volunteers, with the Ramblers Association and the Chiltern Society being heavily involved. Officers complete roughly 40% of the survey. A clearer overview of the results would be presented at the next meeting. 

Regarding capital projects, all objective projects for 2022 had been sent out to contractors with the expectation that most would be delivered within the year. Surfacing works had slowed down due to storms and wet conditions. Winter clearance had been undertaken, ending due to bird nesting season. Regarding the Fawley Bridge replacement, a temporary bridge had been installed and the ROW Team were working with the landowner to replace it. Ms J Taylor explained that the team was collating a list of projects for the 2022/23 financial year. The ROW Team had been allocated £200,000 per year for the next 5 years to fund future projects.

In relation to appendix 1, Ms J Taylor noted the impact from lockdowns on volunteer work. Despite the number of jobs carried out by volunteers being similar to the 2019/20 figures, the type of work volunteers were able complete was more restrictive. For example, less gate structures had been erected by volunteers comparable to previous years. There had also been a slight increase of outstanding issues on the system, indicating that the increase had been slowing down. An increase in reports of fallen trees were expected in the spring and summer.

In the discussion that followed, it was explained that anyone who reports an issue online through the Rights of Way reporting system and had asked for an update would receive it through the online system and via email. Once the issue had been resolved, the recipient would receive more substantial feedback of what had been done. Issues were prioritised by severity and the frequency of use. If there was an urgent case, the team would try to resolve the issue within 10 days. Most issues concerned maintenance and enforcement which they aim to resolve within 5-6 months. Due to the backlog in cases, it was not always possible to maintain these timescales. Regarding the online reporting system, Ms Taylor informed the Forum that they are investigating upgrading the system through their current provider.

In response to an enquiry about resurfacing materials, Ms J Taylor explained that they type of material depends on where it is being laid, as road planings couldn’t be used around conservation sites. A lot of the ongoing projects were focused around the Chilterns, where the footpaths faced issues with washout. Therefore, the team were looking to import large angular stones to fill any voids, overlaying that with crushed stone, and then utilising recycled roach planings for the surface material. It was hoped that they could have used excess material from the HS2 excavation, however this was no longer available.