Issue - meetings

To consider report on the achievements of the Council in terms of its public rights of way functions during the year 2011-12 and the proposed work programme for the year 2012-13

The Committee received a report which detailed the achievements of the Public Rights of Way service during 2011-2012 and set out the proposed work programme for 2012-2013.

The Rights of Way Manager reported on thework carried out during 2011-2012 by the Network Management and Enforcement Team and the Legal Orders Team.

It was reported that:

• 39 temporary and emergency closures of rights of way had been made
• 529 problems on the network had been logged, with 375 being resolved and 154 unresolved
• 19 public path orders had been confirmed, 19 cases were in the progress, with a backlog of 25 applications
• 4 Orders had been contested and referred to the Planning Inspectorate
• 4 Definitive Map Modification Orders had been confirmed, 10 were in progress, with a backlog of 22
• 2 Definitive Map Anomaly investigations had been completed, with a backlog of over 260

The budget for Public Rights of Way had been reduced and the reactive way that maintenance must work had resulted in funds being completely committed well before the end of the financial year.  As a consequence work other then planned pre-allocated commitments had been cut back.  A moratorium on all non-essential spending had been imposed in October 2011 until the end of the financial year for the second year in succession.  The consequences were that a black log of work was released at the commencement of the new financial year compounding the problem of under funding and speeding the time at which the budget became expired.

RESOLVED:

That the Annual Report for 2011-12 be noted and the proposed work programme for the Public Rights of Way Team 2012-13 be approved.