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    Parish Footpath Warden Network1

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    eliasox123
    Parish footpath wardens (PFWs) are volunteers that monitor public rights of way in their parish and report issues to the parish council. As budgets for footpath maintenance have been cut, the role of PFWs in ensuring authorities are aware of problems early has become more important. PFWs monitor footpaths, encourage residents to help maintain paths, and liaise with landowners and authorities on repairs. CPRE Norfolk coordinates PFWs and provides support for their activities.

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    Parish Footpath Warden Network1

    Uploaded by

    eliasox123
    28 views2 pages
    Parish footpath wardens (PFWs) are volunteers that monitor public rights of way in their parish and report issues to the parish council. As budgets for footpath maintenance have been cut, the role of PFWs in ensuring authorities are aware of problems early has become more important. PFWs monitor footpaths, encourage residents to help maintain paths, and liaise with landowners and authorities on repairs. CPRE Norfolk coordinates PFWs and provides support for their activities.

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    Parish footpath wardens (PFWs) are volunteers that monitor public rights of way in their parish and report issues to the parish council. As budgets for footpath maintenance have been cut, the role of PFWs in ensuring authorities are aware of problems early has become more important. PFWs monitor footpaths, encourage residents to help maintain paths, and liaise with landowners and authorities on repairs. CPRE Norfolk coordinates PFWs and provides support for their activities.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    28 views2 pages

    Parish Footpath Warden Network1

    Uploaded by

    eliasox123
    Parish footpath wardens (PFWs) are volunteers that monitor public rights of way in their parish and report issues to the parish council. As budgets for footpath maintenance have been cut, the role of PFWs in ensuring authorities are aware of problems early has become more important. PFWs monitor footpaths, encourage residents to help maintain paths, and liaise with landowners and authorities on repairs. CPRE Norfolk coordinates PFWs and provides support for their activities.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    CPRE NORFOLK PARISH FOOTPATH WARDEN NETWORK

    What is a parish footpath warden?


    Parish footpath wardens (PFWs) are volunteers who keep an eye on all public rights of
    way in their parish. As part of the role a PFW will usually:

    make themselves aware of the rules and regulations of Public Rights of Way (PRoW)
    arrange or carry out at least one survey per year of all the PRoWs within the Parish
    to check whether pathways are kept clear, route signs clearly visible and stiles,
    gates, and bridges in good order.
    report to the Parish Council on PRoW issues in the Parish
    encourage Parishioners to adopt paths with a view to keeping them walkable
    become a point of contact for local enquiries and reports on Rights of Way
    liaise with landowners and Norfolk County Council on ocassional remedial works

    In some counties PFWs are co-ordinated by local councils but this is not the case in
    Norfolk. CPRE Norfolk, in partnership with local branches of the Ramblers Association
    and the Open Spaces Society, offers to act as the central information point for existing
    PFWs, and will promote the role in other parishes where at present there is no warden.
    The new network will provide the opportunity for PFWs to share information and
    experience, and provide support on local public rights of way matters.

    Why do we need footpath wardens?


    Those parishes who already have footpath wardens will know how important the role has
    been over the years in monitoring the state of local paths. In the wake of the county
    councils severe budget cuts in 2011, the PFW role has become even more vital.

    Norfolks footpath network has been split into two, with funding focused on Norfolks
    400 miles of long-distance trails. For the remaining circa 2,000 miles of ordinary paths
    there are reduced standards of response to enquiries and complaints, and no pro-active
    maintenance. The procedure for enforcement has been simplified, but the time-frame
    for response to complaints has been increased. As a result paths will become less
    accessible, particularly for older people, wheelchair users and people with walking aids
    or pushchairs.

    With their local knowledge Parish Footpath Wardens will be able to ensure that the
    correct authorities are aware of problems as soon as they arise, therefore minimising
    the impact of longer response times to complaints and providing the county council with
    an accurate picture of the state of the footpath network.

    Contact
    If you are interested in becoming a Parish Footpath Warden, please download and
    complete an Expression of Interest form from our website
    http://www.cprenorfolk.org.uk/campaigns/protect-our-paths or email us for more
    information at info@cprenorfolk.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!
    Cardinal House 86 St Benedicts Street Norwich NR2 4AB Registered Charity number 210706
    The Definitive Map
    All Parish Footpath Wardens should familiarise themselves with the Definitive Map.
    This is the legal record of registered public rights of way. All parish councils should have
    a copy of the definitive map for their parish - contact your parish clerk for more
    information. Copies of the definitive map are also available to view in larger public
    libraries, District Council offices and at the County Council, by appointment with the
    Definitive Map team on 0344 800 8020.

    Insurance

    CPRE Norfolk cannot provide insurance for your activities as a Parish Footpath Warden.
    Instead we ask that you seek official appointment as a Warden by your Parish Council
    and ensure that your activities are covered by their insurance policy.

    Maintenance of footpaths

    The main aim of CPRE Norfolks campaign to establish a Parish Footpath Warden network
    is to ensure monitoring and consistent reporting of access issues across the county.
    However, although the simple act of walking footpaths regularly will help to keep them
    passable, we understand that many PFWs will want to be more proactive in maintaining
    their local rights of way.

    Here are the three simple ways of being more pro-active:

    Directional signs: Where directional signs are broken or lost, PFWs can replace
    direction discs. Contact the relevant Highway Engineer for your parish (Tel 0344 800
    8020) for more details on how to obtain supplies of discs.
    Surface cutting: Parish councils have delegated powers to carry out surface
    maintenance (cutting) on public rights of way (as recorded on the Definitive Map).
    Some Parish Councils already do this work on all or some of their local paths, while
    others feel that the additional responsibilities and costs to the parish precept are too
    great. If you are interested in carrying out surface maintenance you should raise it as
    an agenda item at your Parish Council meeting. It might be possible to share costs
    (e.g. for hiring a contractor) with neighbouring parishes. It should be noted that side
    growth (e.g. unpruned hedges) are the responsibility of the landowner, and
    agreement must be sought before carrying out maintenance (see below).
    Approaching landowners: Overgrown hedges and non-reinstated footpaths (e.g.
    after ploughing) are the responsibility of the landowner. If you feel able to approach
    the landowner direct to ask him/her to rectify the issue, this may solve the problem
    more quickly than reporting to the County Council. If you do not want to approach
    the landowner directly, you could ask the Parish Council to do it. If the problems
    remain unresolved, contact the County Council outlining the problem and the steps
    that you have undertaken locally.

    For updated information on the Protect Our Paths Campaign go to


    http://www.cprenorfolk.org.uk/campaigns/protect-our-paths

    For more information on PRoW frequently asked questions please go to


    http://www.countrysideaccess.norfolk.gov.uk/faqs.aspx

    Cardinal House 86 St Benedicts Street Norwich NR2 4AB Registered Charity number 210706

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