LINKS WITH WEST BERKSHIRE COUNCIL – LOCAL ACCESS FORUM

In the past, formal links with the Rights of Way Department have been through two groups which discuss rights of way issues: the Rights of Way Liaison groupand the RUPPs & Byways User group.

Equestrian representatives on one or both of these groups have been Penny Reid (Berkshire BHS Access & Rights of Way Officer), Gill Hall (recreational rider) & Margaret Pawson (carriage driver) & Janice Bridger (recreational rider).

Two of the jobs that the RUPPS & Byways User group did were to prioritise byways & RUPPs for repair (taking into consideration the limited amount of funds available) & discuss tracks which should have voluntary vehicular restraint to prevent further surface damage. Any repaired tracks you may have ridden will have been discussed by this group.

With the advent of the Local Access Forum, these groups are under review but it is expected that a group which deals with path problems will continue in addition to the Local Access Forum.

LOCAL ACCESS FORUM (LAF)

The recent Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW) decreed that local access forums have to be set up by local councils (see www.defra.gov.uk). A call for applicants to sit on the Mid and West Berks Forum was issued in the spring this year. There were 35 applications. There are 22 members of the forum each of which have a 2 year initial appointment period. User groups & land managers are represented. Forum meetings are open to the public.

John Winkley, from Wokingham (ukjohn.winkley@aol.com) is the horse-riding representative. He describes himself as a recreational horse-rider who enjoys getting out and about on his horse. John has developed several riding routes, some of which are published in the BHS ‘Ridgeway Downs on horseback’ book (available from the BHS bookshop). He also takes his horse on holiday to explore ‘foreign’ parts. John gives a fuller description of his equestrian CV below.

Other members of the group which represent users are: Margaret Pawson from Tidmarsh (a carriage driver); Jane Keily from Newbury (Rambler who we worked closely with to get the A34 bridleway bridge); Morris Dowding (cycling); Colin Patient (vehicular access); FJ Wilson (disabled access). Those representing land management interests are: David Gardiner; John Goddard; Jonathan Russell; Patrick Todd, John Pallett, Sally Wallington. Those whose interest is described as ‘other’ are: Phil Bagge, Richard Elston, Tony Nye (fishing), Jeremy Sandell & David Shepherd. Three councillors make up the complement of 22.

The full remit of local access forums is given on the DEFRA website. Ones of concern to equestrians include the preparation of rights of way improvement plans and improvement of the rights of way network. John Winkley is going to need help from us in West Berks.

So that is one of the reasons for setting up the Register of Riders in West Berks. It is very important that we get our needs identified, recognized and justified if we are to fit in with the other users. So, get your thinking caps on and draw up a wish list. The Ramblers already have theirs!

For example, you might have said ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could just ride inside that hedge & get off this road’; or ‘Oh, if only we had a bridleway across there’. There will be some hard work to do but it happens if we try. Jane Ashbridge has already created two new bridleways in Compton. We will probably have to show that there is a need (plenty of horse-riders about) and may have to show it would benefit other users (not difficult). There are a couple of schemes in development in the Hermitage and Cold Ash parishes. And remember, cycling has a high political profile. Are equestrian needs for the surface of bridleways (which cyclists can legitimately use) the same as ours….?? Often not.

REPORT FROM THE FIRST MID AND WEST BERKS LOCAL ACCESS FORUM MEETING (NOVEMBER 2003) AND ON RIGHTS OF WAY IMPROVEMENT PLANS BY JOHN WINKLEY

Dear Janice: Having completed the first formal meeting of LAF, which took place in Wokingham yesterday (20^th November), for a change I feel it is now my turn to provide you with some information - although there isn't as yet much to report. The enthusiasm you have already shown indicates you may be expecting great things to emerge from LAF, and while I share your hopes and enthusiasm, I suspect real progress may be a long time coming. The LAF is essentially an advisory body with no real powers, and the "authorities" are not legally bound to accept our advice. Having said that, my main aim is to improve the riding rights of way network in our areas and I will do my very best to achieve this aim.

The Secretary, Mr Penfold, who reminded me of a traditional butler, was extremely courteous and conducted the meeting in a very professional manner - I am minded to write him a letter of thanks. We worked through a 35-page Agenda, mostly dealing with the legal niceties, and this included, at the halfway point, a presentation by the Countryside Agency. We elected a Chairman, Mr Gardiner (head of GLEAM) and a Vice Chairman (in her absence although she did arrive later), Ms J Kiely (both from West Berks). Mr Gardiner then conducted the meeting very well, ably assisted by Mr Penfold.

Future full LAF meetings have been arranged for:
21 April 2004 (at Newbury),
19 October 2004 (at Reading) and
20 April 2005 (at Wokingham),
all provisionally starting at 2pm. (Note: these are open to anyone who wishes to attend)

The provisional Central Southern England map showing open country and registered common land was on display (about 20 feet long) but contained very little of either and the two small areas in Wokingham District have no equestrian value. Don't know about West Berks? Hungerford Common? Bucklebury? Anyway, it is now too late for comments and further action is only available to the land owners. (Note: in general open access land does not relate to horse riders, for riding over such land is not permitted).

Volunteers were sought to cover cross-boundary liaison with neighbouring LAFs, and I have agreed to attend Windsor & Maidenhead LAF meetings (I did offer to attend Bracknell Forest meetings but was persuaded to hand this to the CTC gentleman).

We have also arranged our first informal meeting for: 21 January
on
Rights of Way Improvement Plans (RIPs)

where hopefully we can start the real business of tackling and formulating a work programme. It is early days yet and it is not clear how things will unfold.

But at this meeting, I plan to suggest a number of new linking sections (generally field edges adjacent to existing roads) to produce safe circular riding routes by linking existing bridleways and/or byways. I also intend to further study my copies of the Wokingham District Definitive Maps to identify suitable existing footpaths with a view to upgrading them to bridleway status. Other non-equestrian members attending this meeting may well put forward their own ideas not directly involving horses, but hopefully some "common ground" can be found.  

In order to cover West Berks, I will need some help! We should be asking riders now what ideas they have, the more ideas the better, and from as many people as possible - bearing in mind that there are no guarantees and any successes will be hard fought - but if we don't try........

No one has yet spelled out what RIPs are supposed to suggest, so this is just my initial interpretation - we will have to wait and see!
That's all for now - but I will keep you informed.

Regards
John

JOHN’S CV WITH RIGHTS OF WAY WORK:

During the period 1989 to 1993, John with others carried out a survey of all rights of way available to horse riders in Wokingham District. At first, he had to make do with hopelessly out of date Definitive maps, some dated 1952, and he still remembers the enormous excitement in May 1991 when the First Consolidated Definitive Map and Statement of Public Rights of Way came into his hands, documents still very much in use today. During the initial five year period, and using the Survey Document, a path monitoring system was put into place where all usable riding rights of way were inspected on a regular basis by a number of volunteer horse riders. Any problems were then reported by John to Wokingham District Council for their attention. This system worked very well and twice per year meetings took place at the Council Offices with the Public Rights of Way Officer. In 1994, the Wokingham District Council Rights of Way Department started to carry out their own survey, and our system of reporting came to an end.

Our Survey revealed that we had 90 paths totalling 43 miles, of which only 31 were Bridleways. Some of the byways were just access roads to houses and thus went nowhere, and some Bridleways ended on busy roads. Some thought was given as to how we could improve the network and perhaps establish new routes to join up otherwise unusable routes, but no funding was available and the idea was shelved.

Since the early 1990s John has represented the BHS regarding rights of way matters for Wokingham District, and to this end, he still receives copies of all Planning Applications that affect rights of way. These are examined for implications affecting horse riders and appropriate responses are submitted where necessary. John resigned from the Berkshire BHS Committee some years ago and is therefore no longer working directly with the BHS Bridleways Officer for Berkshire, Penny Reid. He is however operating in this capacity with the full permission of Penny, and she is kept informed of all proceedings in writing. As BHS Southern Regional Treasurer, John meets up with Penny regularly at Southern Region BHS Committee meetings, where further discussions often take place.

On a more personal note, after a break for financial (loss of job) and health (new hip) reasons, John has again become a horse owner. As he is now retired, much of his time is spent with horses (Wokingham Equestrian Centre). He is alarmed however at the increase in traffic, both in volume and speed, and now finds that roads once used for daily horse riding have become too dangerous for both horse and rider. The need for safe off-road routes has never been greater, and John would be delighted to continue the work of identifying and implementing some safe linking routes, as started in 1994.

CONTACTING WEST BERKS COUNCIL

Problems on bridleways and byways which need to be dealt with should be brought to the attention of Elaine Cox, Senior Rights of way Officer, Rights of Way section in Countryside and Environment at West Berks Council (ELCox@westberks.gov.uk; 01635 519069; Countryside and Environment, Council Offices, Faraday Rd, Newbury RG14 2AF).

Elaine has confirmed that it is their policy to reply to all communications. So, if you do not receive a reply, the same information should be re-sent until you do get a response. Or our problems may never get on the priority list.