Issue - meetings

Genni Butler to report on the Draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Cheshire East

Genni Butler reported on the Cheshire East Draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2011-2026

It was a statutory duty under section 60 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 200 for every local authority to prepare and publish a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP). 

The draft Cheshire East ROWIP had been developed in line with the Local Transport Plan 3 into which it was required to be integrated. 

The ROWIP consisted of five sections:

• Introduction
• Evaluation of current ROWIP
• Network Assessment
• Demand Assessment
• What needed to be done

The Forum was asked to comment on the draft ROWIP and Members discussed each of the sections.  Issues discussed included access to public rights of way and that even though use of public transport was encouraged, walkers, riders and cyclists tended to use their own vehicles and lack of parking provision was a problem and could deter people using the rights of way.

Neil Collie suggested the following addition to the Initiatives - Walking, which was supported by the Forum:

“Safety Improvements:  support the development, on safety grounds, of low cost measures, such as verge improvements and provision of footways on rural roads so as to encourage travel by foot, cycle and on horseback.”

The draft ROWIP would be presented to the Rights of Way Committee on 21 September 2010 to seek recommendation for the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing to approve the document to go out to public consultation during October and November.

Forum Members were asked to encourage their wider networks to comment on the draft ROWIP during the public consultation period.