F: ANNUAL REPORT 1991 0
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f: ANNUAL REPORT 1991 ~ u~ 0 (f) CJ) ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 0 ~ z ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ z0 0z ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Annual Rep( ·t 1991 :· Members of Council page2 Chairman's report 4 Miscellany 5 COSA Unit 6 Months by the minutes 8 Wins, weeps and wants 9 Fifty years ago 10 Secretary's report 12 Signpost report 18 Footpath inspectors 20 Treasurer's report and accounts 24 Membership report 30 Constitution and rules 36 Midweek walks 38 ·..::');<: :~;: :~: ; ~ - .·,=... ::., .'···.. ::_:,::' ·.·_:_::_: ::~:·.::.·,=_ .. •: _..:.· .~:;: 1 Vice Presidents Hon General Secretary A BennettMP D Taylor DT Berwick 15 Parkfield Drive, GS Cooper Tyldesley PDaley Manchester M298NR T Ewart "ll' 061 790 4383 Chairman Honorary Treasurer LG Meadowcroft SShaw 1 Nelson Street 10 A/stone Road Hazel Grove Stockport Stockport SK45AH SK7 4LR "ll' 061432 6097 'B' 061 483 2482 Membership Secretary Vice Chairmen T Whittaker NH Edwards 51 Queensway 5 Godward Road Heald Green New Mills Cheadle Stockport Cheshire SK12 3BR SK83ET HA Hadfield "ll' 0614371226 3 Lakeside Drive Inquiries and Courts Poynton Stockport Officer SK12 1BR DWLee 7 Mossway Alkrington Middleton Manchester M241WR "ll'061653 4560 Signpost Officer PS Hutchinson 1 Oak/ands Avenue Marple Bridge Stockport SK65DB "ll' 0614271718 Auditor Environment Secretary EMcCormick Mrs P Cliff 10 Raven Road Timperley Trustees Altrincham CS Cooper WA15 6AP L G Meadowcroft "ll' 061 969 7995 2 average attendance of some four visits a year and, in addition, we attend annually the Peak District Voluntary Joint Committee. We therefore view with some concern the proposals by the Country Landowners Association to establish an additional and duplicate Forum to the above and which would involve further time by your officers if we were to be represented. Further ref erence to the CLA 's Policy Statement is made elsewhere in this report. We now have a link with the Byways & activities Bridleways Trust through my member of personal ship and this is proving useful. I have local au also attended a useful seminar on Map self have Modification procedures at which we Cheshire, Peak Park,· were the only voluntary body present. Wakefield · The Course papers are especially useful to our activities as are the views of the On several :: we were accom- learned QC's who presided. panied by • Society's local footpaths Some members will be aware that the inspector overall much as been memorial indicator on Lantern Pike has achieved, significantly on many occa once again been subject to vandalism sions, by the subsequent performance and theft, and steps have been taken to of the authority concerned. Although repair and replace. I recently received both time and mileage consuming we hints that all was not lost and more believe the overall effect is worthwhile. recently was informed that the indica We continue to be represented on the tor plate, somewhat damaged, had been e Kinder Advisory Committee to the found- behind a wall. It was later passed National Trust over to the National Trust who are e Derbyshire Countryside Conservation looking into the possibility of repair or Advisory Committee and the replacement. One can only wonder if e Northwest Federation for Sport, the person(s) responsible for the theft Conservation & Recreation found that our local publicity made its retention 'too hot to handle'. 0 the latter giving us access to Sports Council facilities. Each requires an Leslie Meadowcroft Waiter Brookfield A longstanding and popular member of the Society's Council, we mourn his passing. He gave valuable and practical assistance to the Society, particularly in relation to the supply of equipment for signpost maintenance. His ashes were scattered on Bleaklow in the presenceof a number of friends and members of the Society. 4 The Countryside Commission During the year we considered and responded to two of their consultation documents- e Agenda for the Countryside and e Visitors to the Countryside We would wish to express our thanks to the Commission for their generosity in grant-aid to the Society. On the lOth April1992 we shall be personally expressing our appreciation to their Chairman, Sir John Johnson, at our Annual Dinner in Manchester where he will be the Speaker and Guest of Honour. Country to.U·ILUU Ploughing The Coun ners Association Despite the recent Rights of Way Act have pub! a report entitled- A with regard to what is now legally Better Way Forward which has been fair described as 'Disturbing the Surface', ly widely distributed to various organi we are finding there are still a large sations during the latter half of 1991. number of farmers who continue to As an attempt to foster good relations 'disturb' and do not reinstate. with other bodies we commend its It is extremely important, therefore, intentions, but on certain specific issues that this Society continue to press local which would affect our rights we must authorities to ensure that the provi beg to differ. For instance, the proposal sions of this Act are adhered to. that local authorities be empowered to We can only do that if we are kept grant closures and diversions to which informed of ploughed out paths. Please there are unresolved objections and the therefore contact the Secretary without abolition of the 20 years claim for a delay if you find a path ploughed and right of way. not restored. Pkase do not wait for oth ers to inform us, they may never do so. There is also a proposal to create Countryside and Recreation Access Groups (CRAGS) made up of interested bodies from each shire county and in addition The Society's Slide Lecture to similar existing county bodies. In The Chairman or Secretary would be Derbyshire such a body has been in pleased to present the Society's slide existence for many years and the CLA lecture to any interested organisation. have been conspicuous by their absence Please contact either for further infor for the last few years. mation. 5 are determined, will result in reference to the Secretary of State to decide fol lowing a public inquiry or written rep resentation. In these cases the file is then passed over to our Courts and Inquiries officer to deal with. Selected items from the London Gazette are also examined and pro cessed, much of which requires indent ing for further information before a decision can be made. On average, 50% of public path orders are diversions, 12.5% are clo sures and 5% are creations. Definitive map modification orders are another operation requiring time and labour and two members of the arriving f : 9 o'clock onwards are our afternoon shift usually deal with these first line against those who, plus amending our own maps with the often by means, would attack details involved. Since the upturning of our pub! of way system certain legal cases, these modifications The deal with the ever are becoming more numerous and inc of mail which has often need special treatment. accumul during the past week, In addition to the above, research usually to some 30+ items and technical information is often of correspondence. Each item is regis needed by other officers and manpow tered and allocated a file number to er has to be provided for this and other which is added any previous documen tasks. Meanwhile much typing is being tation relative to the current correspon done and the word processor and pho dence before being passed to a panel of tocopier are providing busy support. three assessors who make individual We are now coming to the end of and decisive comments on a stamped another busy day and outgoing mail box panel. If there is total agreement, a has to be stamped, sealed and posted. suitable reply is sent to the authority or We can then go home- although there applicant. remain the long distance phone calls to If the proposals are likely to be against be made on the cheap rate after 6pm. the public interest or lack specific infor The COSA team comprises about 12 mation, it is likely that our local inspec persons but would welcome additional tor will become involved or a holding members to provide cover for any that objection lodged with the local authori may occasionally be absent! ty until details are provided. Monday is the principal work day If consultations do not resolve a situ from 9am to 4.30pm plus the occasional ation we await the Order and, if still Saturday morning. Special arrangements unsatisfactory, the matter is brought to are made for outside work. Refreseh the Society's Council with the unit's ment facilities are available and the recommendations. If we agree to object, companionship is excellent. Some prior the authority concerned is notified and training is given. Applications to the we await their next move which, if they Chairman or Honorary Secretary. 0 6 Part of the COSA team busy at work in the Archive Centre Out of Order? Z)id you hear the one about the local The applicant then lodged an appeal authority who made a Definitive Map against that decision with the Secretary Modification Order to downgrade a of State, who felt that there was certainly 'Road used as a Public Path' to footpath sufficient to warrant a public inquiry. status and then opposed their own So, he directed Tameside MBC to Order at the subsequent public inquiry, make an Order which they did (they employing Learned Counsel to present had no choice) but subsequently at the their case. inquiry they obviously felt that they I know it sounds like something of a should continue to oppose. However in bad joke, but not so, for it did in fact so doing it cost the Community Charge happen in Tameside ..