Defra Public Consultation on a Proposed Package of Changes to the Processess for Recording, Diverting and Extinguishing Public Rights of Way (10.20-11.00)
Meeting: 22/06/2012 - Cheshire Local Access Forum (Item 14)
PDF 50 KBJohn Taylor and Mike Taylor
Minutes:
Mike Taylor briefed the Forum on the DEFRA consultation “Improvements to the Policy and Legal Framework for Public Rights of Way”.
The proposals in the consultation document would affect three areas of rights of way work – Definitive Map Modification Orders and the Definitive Map, Public Path Orders, and the relationship between planning consents affecting rights of way and any necessary consequential public path orders to allow development to proceed.
The consultation had arisen as a result of a Stakeholder Working Group report “Stepping Forward”, published in March 2010, which contained a package of 32 proposals designed to improve various processes associated with identifying and recording historical rights of way. The consultation document set out how the Government intended to implement these proposals. The deadline for responding was 6 August 2012.
Mike had presented a paper to the Cheshire East Council Public Rights of Way Committee on 11 June 2012 which had outlined the Council’s response to the consultation.
John White reported that the Ramblers had drafted a response, which had been sent to members of the Ramblers for consultation before submission.
Hazel Barber confirmed that Cheshire West and Chester Council would be responding with their views.
It was agreed that the Chairman would compile a response to the consultation on behalf of the Forum, generally supporting Cheshire East Council’s response with the caveats that sufficient resources must be made available to implement the proposed changes and that careful wording must be used in the legislation and guidance.