NATIONAL PARK and COUNTY JOINT LOCAL ACCESS FORUM

JLAF MEETING THURSDAY 15 October 2015 1400 - 1700

Venue: Wylam Wagon Way//Keelman Way and National Park Offices

AGENDA - AFTERNOON MEETING from 1400 - 1700

Theme: Accessing the Urban Fringe with input from Tyne & Wear Local Access Forum and the National Trail officer.

1330 All meet at Birthplace, Wylam, NE46 8DS*

Joined by Liz Bray, Tyne & Wear LAF Chairman and Dave McGlade, National Trail and Volunteer officer

Walk along Wylam Wagon Way via Newburn and Keelman Way (approx 5 miles) Grid reference NZ 118 647**

http://www.northofthetyne.co.uk/Newburn-WylamWalk.html#.VhJUM_1RGk8

Responses to the following questions should be considered:

1. Should multi-use trails ideally have a degree of separation between user types? 2. The Wylam Wagonway is a flat, level, route suitable for most disabled users. However, where Hadrian’s Wall Path branches off it across the Close House playing fields towards Heddon-on-the-Wall there is a sudden transition in accessibility standards. Is this acceptable and how should these inevitable transitions be managed and explained? 3. Should accessibility standards be explained on-site, using notices, as well as off- site, using print and web etc media?

During the walk, Liz Bray, Chairman of Tyne & Wear LAF will also give members feel for how an urban focussed LAF approaches access issues and also to give us feedback on the discussions their Disability Access sub-group have been having on barriers to accessing Northumberland.

1615 Depart to return to Northumberland National Park Offices

Feedback session followed by Refreshments

1800 Evening meeting

2045 Meeting end

* nearest car park is pay & display at War Memorial, Wylam ** Please be at George Stephenson Birthplace, Wylam, NE41 8DS by 1320 for a 1330 start. There is a pay & display car park at the War Memorial, Wylam. For those getting a lift from Eastburn we’re leaving at 1300. You should wear suitable clothing and footwear - the walk is a circular route of about 5 miles. Approaching from the A69, the car park is signed on left for George Stephenson’s cottage. If you get as far as the station and road bridge over the Tyne then you have gone too far. Approaching from after crossing the Tyne stay in second gear and look for car park on right. The website describes the route. However, heading towards Newburn after Stephenson’s cottage it takes a riverside course; it is proposed instead to keep to the Wylam Wagonway because most of the riverside bank has been lost to the river; as a result the Trail is diverted away from it onto the Wagonway.

1 JLAF Agenda 15 October 2015 as at 12/10/15

NORTHUMBERLAND NATIONAL PARK and COUNTY JOINT LOCAL ACCESS FORUM

JLAF MEETING THURSDAY 15 October 2015 1800 - 2045 National Park Offices, NE46 3PQ AGENDA FOR MAIN MEETING

1 Welcome and Apologies

2 Questions from Members of the Public To receive any questions previously submitted by members of the public.

3 Declarations of Interest In accordance with Paragraph 6:8 of Local Access Forums () Regulations 2002, revised February 2007, members are asked to declare any direct or indirect personal, prejudicial and/or financial interests in relation to items on the agenda for this meeting and shall disclose the nature of those interests to the meeting.

4 Approval of Minutes of previous meeting held on 16 April 2015

5 Matters Arising Matters arising from the previous Minutes not covered elsewhere on the agenda

6 Chairman’s Introduction

7 JLAF Action Plan progress to include members’ input session

8 Updates from Appointing Authorities

a. Northumberland County Council including North East Combined Authority b. Northumberland National Park Authority including the Sill

9 Working Groups focus on role of Working Groups and debate need for a working group for each of the three JLAF Action Plan objectives and to report on progress

a. Working Group North including appointment of new chair b. Working Group South c. Strategic Development Working Group

10 General Updates

To note any general updates and information including:

a. Ramblers ‘The Big Pathwatch’ survey 8 September b. Other updates including:  Northumberland National Park Management Plan Review  Northumberland Coast and North Pennines AONBs  National and Regional issues including National Conference  Local Nature Partnership  Any member general updates

2 JLAF Agenda 15 October 2015 as at 12/10/15

NORTHUMBERLAND NATIONAL PARK and COUNTY JOINT LOCAL ACCESS FORUM

11 Closures and Consultations to note:

a) National Park Management Plan review b) Felling licence: Dukes House Wood and Half Mile Wood c) Northumberland Wildlife Trust: Draft Woodland Management Plan Briarwood Banks d) Northumberland Wildlife Trust: Draft Woodland Management Plan Juliet’s WPpd e) Forestry Commission: Drove RIgg f) Forestry Commission: Peat Sike g) Forestry Commission: Proposed Planting Crindle Wood

12 Members’ Section

Any other items members wish to raise not already covered or on agenda:

a. JLAF Media, Publicity and Promotion: A Earnshaw. b. Police Liaison update: T Liddle c. Other items from members not already covered that are pertinent to progressing the JLAF Action Plan

13 Any Other Business

a.. Sign off Annual Report 2014 - 2015

14 Dates of Joint Local Access Forum meetings.

Dates of next meetings: Thursday 28 January 2016, Thursday 21 April, Thursday 21 July and 13 October 2016

Joint Local Access Forums in England. Under Sections 94 and Section 95 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, and in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 7 of The Local Access Forums (England) Regulations 2002 (amended in February 2007) the meetings of the Northumberland National Park and County Joint Local Access Forum (JLAF) are open to the public. Para 4.4.1 of the ‘Guidance on Local Access Forums in England (March 2007) further states that ‘Subject to certain exceptions, Regulation 7 requires forum meetings to be open to the public. This means the meetings are held in public but does not mean that they are public meetings. A person who is not a forum member may be allowed to participate in discussions on specific agenda items at the discretion of the person chairing the meeting’. Questions can be submitted in writing to the Administrator, up to ten working days before the meeting. The agenda and minutes are available on the JLAF pages found at: http://www.northumberland-national-park.org.uk/lookingafter.

Joint Local Access Forum from 1 May 2015 – 30 April 2016 are: Alan Mitcham, Amanda Earnshaw (Chairman), Chris Foster, Donella Rozario, George Astbury (Vice Chairman), Gill Featonby, Ian Jackson (Vice Chairman), Jonathan Farries, Michael Macgregor, Mike Bell (NNPA representative), Moray Allan, Nick Rossiter, Susan Rogers, Michael Smith, Ted Liddle, Cllr Trevor Thorne (NCC representative), Victoria Brown.

For copies of available meeting papers or for any other enquiries please contact: Marion Hume, JLAF Administrator (01434 605 555) or please e-mail: [email protected]

3 JLAF Agenda 15 October 2015 as at 12/10/15