Issue - meetings

To consider a report on the achievements of the Council in terms of its public rights of way functions during the year 2010-2011 and which sets out the proposed work programme for the year 2011-12. 

The Committee received a report which detailed the achievements of the Public Rights of Way service during 2010-11 and set out the proposed work programme for 2011-12.

The Greenspaces Manager reported on thework carried out during 2010-11 by the Maintenance and Enforcement Team and the Legal Orders Team.

It was reported that:

• 33 temporary and emergency closures of rights of way had been made
• 14 public path orders had been confirmed, 28 cases were in the progress, with a backlog of 14 applications
• 7 Orders had been contested and referred to the Planning Inspectorate
• 2 Definitive Map Modification Orders had been confirmed, 9 were in progress, with a backlog of 22
• 6 Definitive Map Anomaly investigations had been completed, with a backlog of over 260

The Rights of Way team had suffered from a reduction in the base budget.  The base budget for contractors and materials had not increased over the past 7 years and was in decline.  The increasing demand on the budget and the reactive way that maintenance must work resulted in funds being completed committed significantly before the end of the financial year and consequently work other than planned pre-allocated commitments had to be cut back.  In addition, a moratorium on all non-essential spending was imposed over the Health and Wellbeing service in October 2010 until the end of the financial year. The consequences were that a back log of work was released at the commencement of the new financial year, compounding the problem of underfunding and speeding the time at which the budget becomes expired.

RESOLVED:

That the Annual Report for 2010-2011 be noted and the proposed Work Programme for the Public Rights of Way Team 2011-2012 be approved.