Agenda item

Reports from Officers

  • FOI requests
  • Defra/NE ROWIP Questionnaire 2013
  • PROW developments i.e. improved linkages, TTRO’s, obstructions, extreme weather mitigation.

Minutes:

Graham Pockett reported that there had been two Freedom of Information (FOI) requests for PROW statistics in the past year, one of them was the one from The Ramblers Association. The source of the other FOI request was not known, but it included other highway authority information, not just rights of way. BFC had a monitoring mechanism for enquiries relating to PROW which was useful for responding to FOI requests. Exchange of information and benchmarking was being undertaken with Wokingham Borough Council. Some of the headline comparisons with other local authorities were reported to the meeting. The cost of rights of way per kilometre were comparable across similar unitary authorities, but the cost of PROW per resident annually was lower in Bracknell Forest than other nearby unitary authorities.

 

Improvements had been undertaken on Longhill Park steps (permitted path), Bracknell Footpath 5 (Section 106 funded), and joint work with Hampshire County Council on Rights of Way at Shepherd Meadows on the Hampshire side.

 

Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TTROs) had been issued for Sandhurst Byway 16 (water mains replacement by South East Water), Devil’s Highway (emergency tree works and reinstatement of the restricted byway), and Longshot Lane (trial bore holes and tree works). A TTRO would be needed at Nine Mile Ride for South East Water to conduct further work in relation to the pipeline through Swinley.

 

The matter regarding bollards on Sandhurst Byway 16, which was also a private road, was discussed. These bollards restricted vehicles from travelling between Wellington Road to Yorktown Road (or in reverse). These would have likely been in place for a long time and were used to stop the private road from being used as a ‘through route’; it would therefore prove very difficult to justify asking for them to be removed.

 

Adverse weather conditions had caused an increased number of faults to be reported on PROW including fallen trees, potholes and flooding. Options were being explored about how to mitigate flooding on the footpath which ran down the side of Edgbarrow school (Crowthorne Footpath 4) and conducting a basic repair of  potholes on Hawthorne Lane.

 

Hugh Fitzwilliams asked that further clarification be made with Environmental Services in relation to BFCs responsibility to clear fly-tipped rubbish on private roads where PROWs were running over the top of them.

(Action: Graham Pockett)

 

Eight ponies had been left illegally to graze in a field in Peacock Lane opposite Jennett’s Park at the end of January 2014. A wire fence had been erected across a PROW (Binfield Footpath 16) without permission to stop the ponies from escaping onto the A329M and causing a danger to themselves and motorists. The land was the responsibility of the consortium building the Jennett’s Park development. They had instructed bailiffs to secure removal of the ponies. BFC who had responsibility in relation to ensuring the PROW obstruction was removed, had erected advisory notices to warn dog walkers and ramblers of the situation.

 

Footpath 15 had been made narrower by the developer and a three metre width was needed for this path, which was a combination cycle and footpath. A formal notice under section 143 of the highways Act 1980 had been served. Works to restore the path width had been agreed but were yet to be implemented by the developer.

 

In relation to Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANGs), works planned included Englemere Pond (propose to install further waymarkers), Longhill Park (interpretation project, signs etc), Horseshoe Lake (ditch repair work, replacing the sluice gate), and Shepherd Meadows (path work on the southern side of the river in the summer). SPA wardening had been agreed with Natural England and all Thames Basin Heaths authorities with a plan to increase resource over time to four full-time and ten seasonal wardens covering the whole Thames Basin Heaths area, and there would be awareness raising amongst visitors.

 

South East Water had submitted a revised planning application for the pipeline through Swinley; the haulage routes had changed but the pipeline routes remained the same. BFC was objecting to this planning application as the planned haulage routes came very close to Caesar’s Camp (Scheduled Monument) with large trucks using the forest track regularly.

 

Rose Wicks mentioned that BFC were one of only 13% of authorities who had completed a review of their Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP). The majority (48%) of authorities had carried out a ‘limited’ consultation on ROWIP. ‘Funding’ and ‘Brief Guidance’ were the most popular ways in which authorities would like support with their ROWIP reviews. ROWIP for the borough was integrated with Local Transport Plan 3. Most respondents (83%) considered ROWIPs a success, mostly due to the raised profile of rights of way.

 

Work was being undertaken with the Forestry Commission to produce interpretation panels at key access points to the Crowthorne Woods site, such as, Devil's Highway and Muzzy’s roundabout.

 

The interpretation and information would highlight the sensitive nature of the site and promote key messages consistent with the Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Project co-ordinated by Natural England. 

 

The information provided would clearly state that the SPA was a protected habitat and was an internationally important breeding ground for birds. Visitors would be asked to take care to minimise potential disturbance (particularly by dogs). In addition, the interpretation would include key information specific to the location, for example, Wet Mires and forestry operations.

 

Exert from the Habitats Regulation Assessment report:

 

In relation to the Parks and Open Spaces Quality Improvements Programme, project facilitation was in place and Phase 1 projects were underway. At Westmorland Park, paths had been upgraded to improve circulation and better link the park. Improvements planned included new wildflower meadow areas, ornamental planting and new interpretation and site signs.

 

At Snaprails Park, wooden footbridges had been installed, paths links would be created and restoration of the stream embankments would be undertaken. At Turnberry, a multi user path had been completed by Bracknell Town Council, and expenditure had been approved for Edmunds Green/ Lane and Blackmore Pond projects.

 

Phase 2 projects included Bracknell Town Council projects at Mill Park (Wildridings and Central), Calfridus Way Recreation Ground (Harmans Water), and a Binfield Parish Council project at Binfield Cricket Club. Other projects were in the pipeline and proposals were being received via the project assessment pro forma. These would be assessed against core criteria.

Supporting documents:

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk