CONTENTS Executive Summary 1 Abbreviations used in the Text 3 Introduction 5 1 What is a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) 6 2 Newport City Councils Rights of Way Improvement Plan 7 2.1 Your contact for the ROWIP 8 3 Portrait of Newport 9 4 Newport City Council Rights of Way Team 10 4.1 What does the Rights of Way Team do? 10-11 4.2 Public Rights of Way: What are they? 11 4.3 Extent of Public Rights of Way Network 11 Distribution of Public Rights of Way Network [Fig 1]12 5 Other access. 13-15 Landscape Designations, Communities and Destinations [Fig 2] 16 6 The Definitive Map 17 6.1 Changes to the network – Public Path Orders 17 6.2 Modification Orders 17 6.3 Researching and recording unregistered rights 18 6.4 Back log of Definitive Map Work 18 6.5 Estimated time & cost to clear backlog 18 6.6 Definitive Map anomalies 19 6.7 Table showing Definitive Map anomalies 19-20 6.8 Key Findings 20 7 Condition and Maintenance of the Network. 21 7.1 Maintenance 23-24 7.2 Dealing with reported problems 25 7.3 Enforcement 26 7.4 Levels of reported and resolved problems 26 7.5 Key Findings 27 8 Expenditure on Public Rights of Way 28-29 8.1 Current staffing levels & resources 29-30 8.2 Estimating cost to bring PROW network to 100% easy 31-32 to use and fully signed 8.3. Estimating the costs to clear PROW network of 32 overgrown vegetation 8.4 Key Findings 32 9 Promotion of the Network 33 9.1 Current promotion 33-34 9.2 Promoted routes 34 9.3 Guided walks and events 34-35 1 9.4 Coastal access 35 9.5 Websites 36 9.6 Other potential Promotional Opportunities 36 9.7 Key Findings 37 10 Links to Other Plans and Strategies 38-39 11 Current Adequacy and Suggested Improvements. 40 12 Issues Raised During Public Consultation. 41 12.1 Walkers. 41 12.2 Non-Users. 41-42 12.3 Walkers with vision impairment and walkers with 42 mobility restrictions 12.4 Horse Riders 42-43 12.5 Cyclists 43-44 12.6 Landowners 44 12.7 Maintenance of the PROW network 45 12.8 Off-Road Vehicles 45 12.9 Key Findings 45-46 13 Conclusion. 47 13.1 Actions required to manage, develop and improve 48 access to the countryside 14 Statement of Action. 49-50 1 The Definitive Map and Statement 51 2 Promotion of the Rights of Way Network 52 3 Working with Landowners 53 4 Maintenance of Public Rights of Way Networks 54 5 User Groups 55 Appendix 1 – Countryside Access Questionnaire-Results 57-64 Appendix 2 - Landowner's Questionnaire – Results 65-69 2 Executive Summary Newport City Council, as the Highway Authority is required under Section 60 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to develop and publish a Rights of Way Improvement Plan, (ROWIP). Public Rights of Way provide one of the main means by which people can enjoy access to the countryside. Government surveys have indicated that for many local highway authorities in Wales there is a need to significantly improve the management of their public rights of way network. The ROWIP is intended to form the foundation for any future improvement work to the public rights of way network; it will form the structure for planning policy decisions, annual work programmes and grant aid applications for improving access to the countryside for the next 10 years, and possibly beyond. Newport City Council has followed guidelines laid out by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG), which have involved an assessment of the current condition of the rights of way network in Newport, and a review of the Definitive Map. Widespread consultation with a variety of stakeholders (various groups who have an interest in the PROW network) has also been carried out to determine the needs, and indeed the perception of the adequacy of the public rights of way network now and for the future. As a result of this consultation, structures on public rights of way were on the whole considered to be well maintained. However, Users identified that many paths were obstructed by vegetation, and also the waymarking and signage of routes inadequate. This consultation also identified a considerable shortfall in countryside access opportunities for User Groups other than able bodied walkers, and that the majority of public rights of way promotional material was out of print. Nationally, the ROWIP process has highlighted a substantial backlog of work on the public path network. The work relates to the need to update the Definitive Map, and to also tackle long standing physical obstructions on the paths themselves. Newport shares some of these problems, but does have an excellent network of routes overall. With additional funding, from the Welsh Assembly Government, some genuine progress can be made to resolve these issues. Newport’s ROWIP clarifies the extent of the outstanding problems and also identifies how it proposes to prioritise the resolution of these problems if additional funding is provided by the Countryside Council for Wales, and/or, the Welsh Assembly Government. On completion of the assessment and consultation process, a number of key aims have been identified, together with a number of actions that will enable Newport City Council to achieve these aims. Newport City Council’s Countryside Team are committed to providing a well maintained rights of way network, which offers better access opportunities to a wider audience. 1 2 ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT In the text, the full name is given on first use with the abbreviation in brackets. Thereafter the abbreviation may be used. This list may be helpful as a reminder, or if reading this document out of sequence. BOAT Byway Open to All Traffic BVPI Best Value Performance Indicator CCW Countryside Council for Wales CRB Cart Road – Mainly used as a Bridleway CRF Cart Road – Mainly used as a Footpath DM&S Definitive Map and Statement DMMO Definitive Map Modification Order CROW Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 FC Forestry Commission LAF Local Access Forum NCC Newport City Council NCN National Cycle Network OS Ordnance Survey PROW Public Right of Way ROWIP Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan RUPP Road Used as Public Path WAG Welsh Assembly Government 3 4 Introduction The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, commonly known as the ‘CROW ACT’ is the most significant piece of countryside legislation for 20 years. It addresses issues of nature conservation, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), access across commons, access to open country and public rights of way (PROW). One of the Act’s many requirements in relation to public rights of way was a statutory requirement upon all local authorities to produce a Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP). The thinking behind this was for local authorities to take the management of public rights of way a stage further, beyond the fire fighting reactive approach of dealing with only reported problems, and high priority paths. The aim of the improvement plan is to attain a better public rights of way network in order to meet modern needs and aspirations. The background to this aim had been set out by the former Countryside Commission, which required all public rights of way to be legally recorded, well maintained and signposted by the year 2000. Although many authorities failed to meet this target, it certainly helped focus minds by getting local authorities to determine the scale of work required, and the resources needed to address the problems identified. In England, this was achieved through the production of ‘Milestone Statements’, but this did not apply to the Welsh authorities. Rights of Way Improvement Plans however, have similar elements to the ‘Milestone Statements’ and so Welsh authorities are, in effect, for the first time having to produce a detailed assessment of their right of way network, and to identify the resources required to carry out the improvement work necessary for a well managed, enhanced countryside access resource capable of meeting current needs and future expectations. 5 1. What is a Rights of Way Improvement Plan [ROWIP] Newport City Council, as Highway Authority, is required under Section 60 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to develop and publish a Rights of Way Improvement Plan, (ROWIP). Public Rights of Way provide one of the main means by which people can enjoy access to the countryside. Government surveys have indicated that for many local highway authorities in Wales there is a need to significantly improve the management of their PROW network. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) legislative guidance highlights that ROWIPs should assess; amongst other things: 1. The extent to which local rights of way meet the present and likely future needs of the public. 2. The opportunities provided by local rights of way and in particular by footpaths, cycle tracks, bridleways and restricted byways for: x Exercise and other forms of outdoor recreation. x Enjoyment of the local countryside. x Accessibility to blind or partially-sighted persons, and others with mobility problems. ROWIPs are to be the prime means by which local highway authorities should identify, prioritise and plan for improvements to their local rights of way network and in doing so, make better provisions for walkers, cyclists, equestrians and people with mobility problems. The plans will take into account new access land that became available throughout Wales in 2005 under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, and will consider other opportunities to access the wider countryside and public open spaces in Newport.