Path Minders first year report 2013

Path Minders First Year Report -Winter 2013

A year ago, Steve Jagger and I (Michael Mosse) were discussing Rights of Way and their deficiencies in our area. Despite Llanbrynmair being designated as a “Priority Community” by Powys County Council, little seemed to be happening. We decided to take some unilateral action and worked on digging out a boggy area on a footpath, so that it became a ditch with a stream. Powys County Council heard what we were doing and provided some tools and a pipe. The result was that even a heavy horse could cross the stream without sinking in up to its knees.

Finally getting something done felt very good. I realised that it had taken no more of my time than the many frustrating emails and phone calls I had had about this problem. Solving the problem practically felt so much more satisfying than trying to get other people to sort it out.

Steve, Alison and I arranged a meeting to which twenty people came. We became a constituted group so that we could work on our own, as well as with Phill Stallard, the Volunteers Officer with Powys County Council. About 20 people agreed to be on our mailing list.

Work in January 2013

During the year, we have had two work days a month, with extra sessions when needed. We mostly arrange our own project work, with PCC sorting out the glitches where they arise. We have had to issue one Form 1 notice where Rights of Way issues have remained unresolved. There is no doubt that the path concerned would not now have a gate if the Form 1 had not been issued. We try to use this as a last resort, preferring negotiation to sort out difficulties.

We have installed four gates and a couple of stiles and repaired others. We've cut back gorse and brambles and chopped through fallen trees. We've removed bundles of discarded wire from the surface of a bridleway. Five or six additional kilometres of Rights of Way are now useable, which has opened the way to using them as part of larger circular routes. The biggest work has been to clear a totally blocked restricted byway in Minfordd. Before we started work, it was 750 metres of bush, bramble and trees. Now it is a walkable path. Our work inspired PCC to bring in contractors for the gates. We have also been promised a new foot bridge over the Twymyn to replace one recorded on the Definitive Map.

 

Stile installation, November 2013 and Tree in gateway removed Jan 2014

Work parties have numbered from over a dozen to two volunteers. People have come for all or just one session. It has been essential that we have our own projects, as Powys County Council’s one Volunteer officer is very much in demand. We have had thirty work days this year. The Volunteers Officer was able to be present at only six. If we were relying on PCC officer presence at work sessions, our output would be about 1/6 of what we have actually achieved.

The loss of jobs in Powys County Council has left Llanbrynmair as a Priority Area without an officer. The officer who has “acquired” responsibility for the Llanbrynmair area already has his own Priority Areas. He anticipates that the bulk of his time in the coming year will be spent in his other Priority Areas. In other words, as predicted by Clive a couple of years ago, the Priority Area system has begun to stall and it hasn't reached even 20% of Community Council areas.

It would seem obvious, given the current economic situation, that volunteers have the greatest effect for the least input of officer time and can achieve real advances in conferring with landowners and contractors. Once the routes are established, there will be no uncertainty about the location of gates and way marks or the line of routes. There will be no need for the removal of dense scrub or established trees or for contractors to install field gates. Maintenance of established routes will be the sort of job that could be done by local users. As they find a problem, they will be able to use the light weight tools provided by PCC. Walkers are entitled to “make their way” and that is what they would be doing. The problem would be dealt with on the spot without the need to make a report, except perhaps to log the activity to show that the system is working.

In terms of resources these are uncertain times. There is no guarantee that officer posts or indeed the department in Powys County Council itself will be retained. Any plan made today could well be irrelevant by the time it is put into operation, due to lengthy bureaucratic processes.

If there are volunteers willing to work on Rights of Way, wherever they are, they can do so if the landowner says they can.

That is why Path Minders is a constituted group. We benefit from group insurance extended by Keep Wales Tidy. We also have aims and a group “voice” which makes us more influential when dealing with the Local Authority and other local organisations.

Path Minders is currently focusing on the physical clearing of RoW. For our work to be effective and produce a joined up network, we have remained for the most part within the one community area. Our motto might be The Walk from Your Door. We encourage people to take ownership of the footpaths and bridleways on their local path and to enjoy them.

Volunteer effort does not have to be restricted to physical work. Research is needed into missing and discontinuous routes, which could be lost all together in coming years. Inaction will mean that what was done retrospectively to 4x4 users with the NERC Act will be done to all other users by CROW in 2026.

Path Minders have asked for the definitive map and statement to be put on line, as it is in other counties. This would save miles of travel by would-be researchers. Volunteers could also be engaged in scanning Archive documents and putting them on line too, if the will was there in our Local Authority.

In the experience of Path Minder members, the only thing that brings about real change on Rights of Way is action by community members. The job across Powys is too big for any one organisation, whether statutory or voluntary.

There are many books and documents that tell you what can be done and where, but they are no substitute for actually getting out into the fresh air and getting to work!

Advice to others seeking to improve Rights of Way

·         If work on a route is thwarted by a recalcitrant landowner further down the path, there are still remedies. Start by asking PCC and try to get Martin Davies the enforcement officer involved.

·         Back your application with a request to your Town or Community Council that they also report the problem, requesting action.

·         Set a time frame within which you expect to see something happen and keep a record of everything.

·         Be sure to ask for everything that you need to get the way open and give accurate grid references for all problems.

·         When your time limit (or patience) expires start talking about Form 1 and don't be shy of using it if all else has failed. A problem with Form 1 is it doesn't allow flexibility in the response, so be very precise and police the outcome.