Minutes:
Rose Wicks reported that the ‘Routes and Trees’ themed Parks Photo Competition 2011 was successful. The Games coming to London and the Queen’s Jubilee would be the theme for this year’s competition with the suggestion of ‘Red, White and Blue’ in Bracknell’s open spaces. A further suggestion was ‘Crowned with Rings’.
There was a revised version of the Ramblers Route leaflet which better related the maps to the text. An event was scheduled for September which aimed to celebrate the rights of way network. The Rangers would be involved and Hugh Fitzwilliams would lead some walks.
Tom Newman would lead a cycle ride at the event and there would possibly be a treasure hunt. It was suggested that more Rambling groups could be involved and that different walking, cycling and riding groups could begin from different places on the day. It was suggested that the event could be held on 29 September instead of 22 September. Sharon Holt would either be involved herself or would ask if any horse riders would like to lead a ride. Richard Mosses would mention the event to his contacts within the Ramblers. Innes McEwen had land near Frost Folly and volunteered to be involved.
Ideas for the event should be forwarded to Rose Wicks rose.wicks@bracknell-forest.gov.uk .
(Action: All)
Applications for the Green Flag Awards had been submitted. South Hill Park would be entered in 2013, and Bracknell Town Council had entered Jocks Lane for the first time this year. With two open spaces in Winkfield entered, this brought the Borough wide total to six sites.
Graham Pockett reported that Scottish and Southern Energy were undertaking works in the area. A 33V underground electrical cable needed to be supplied to Crowthorne Substation via the Devils Highway restricted byway. There could be an archaeological site in this area and this was a well used right of way. This restricted byway would be closed to carriage drivers for two months while the work was undertaken and there would be a temporary diversion for walkers, cyclists and horse riders on Forestry Commission owned land. The decision would be taken whether the handrails installed on the diversion route should be removed after the works were completed. The work would be undertaken in October and November 2012 after the bird nesting season and the car park would remain open.
Footpath improvements had been completed along parts of Sandhurst Footpath 13A. Those planned included improving the footpath network near to the Wykery Copse development using S106 contributions. This would create a new circular route and help to protect the SSSI woodland by providing alternative routes for dog walkers close to home. There would be a footpath creation agreement for a new path from the eastern end of Winkfield Footpath 15 at Sunninghill Park to Sunninghill Road opposite Ascot Gate, Windsor Great Park.
There were modification orders in relation to Sandhurst Footpath 15, Sandhurst Footpath 21 and Crowthorne Footpath 8. No compelling legal evidence could be found to remove Sandhurst Footpath 15, so the decision was to decline the application. The decision was taken to decline the application to re-define the widths of Crowthorne Footpath 8 and Sandhurst Fooatph 21, as the 1951 Parish Survey provided a record of the width of these footpaths at the time of the first Definitive Map for East Berkshire.
Richard Walton reported that the Parks and Open Spaces Strategy was being updated and the aim was for the refreshed strategy to be published in July 2012. There would be a quality and improvement programme in two phases and the Parish and Town Councils and Ward Members affected in Bracknell Forest would be consulted. The Green Flag standard was considered a useful tool for assessing quality of open spaces, and maintaining and improving quality sites. The strategy would include proposals for capital works using S106 funding across the two phases. Local consultation would be sought regarding projects for phase 2.