RIGHTS of WAY PROBLEM REPORTING in EAST SUSSEX
Description / Instructions
During 2015 Sussex Ramblers considering a new Rights of Way Problem Report Form for use by all Local Footpath Secretaries (LFPS) in East Sussex.
It was noted that LFPS’s reported problems to ESCC RoW Team in some 4 or 5 different ways that do not provide a consistent method for saving problem data for reference and analysis by Ramblers, though we assume ESCC RoW team have records.
So an LFPS team led by Bev Marks developed a Problem Report Form that can be filled in and delivered to ESCC RoW and simultaneously delivered to Ramblers for analysis and Ramblers ongoing records. The Report Form was based on a current ESCC form and has been discussed with the RoW Team who find its layout and information acceptable.
The reporting methodology and draft RoW Problem Report Form was presented to the LFPS annual meeting in 2015-April and suggestions have been incorporated into the version which is now in use by all East Sussex LFPS. It comes in various file formats that have been pre- tested on PC and Apple Macs to ensure their compatibility with different software/hardware platforms.
For those who prefer paper systems, paper copies will be provided by the AFPS.
Using the RoW Problem Report process
Accompanying these instructions is a blank RoW Problem Report Form which is a MS Word template that you can save for future use – it is a form that only allows certain fields to be used/filled-in. You may partially customise it with your own ‘From’ details and save for recall when making your reports.
The Problem Report form has a natural information flow layout, i.e. From, RoW Location, RoW Problem, To, Attachments (photographs) and provides hints (in grey text) to help give a brief but comprehensive report. Provision is made for more detailed comment if required but in most cases the information boxes may be all that is needed. Thus completing the form should be easy.
NOTE: If you do not wish to add photographs it is only necessary to save the first page.
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1. The ‘RoW Location’ can be found on the ESCC Online RoW Map at http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/countryside/rightsofway/rightsofwaymap /LargeMap.htm e.g. to find the Asset number of a bridge. OS Grid references are also helpful to the RoW team to precisely identify an asset, especially where several are close together.
(Tip: An accurate grid reference of your cursor’s position on the Online RoW Map is displayed dynamically above the Key on the left side of the map. Combine numbers 2 – 4 of the 6 figure Easting and Northing to give the 6 figure grid reference.)
2. Personal Safety Issue and Ramblers: High Priority. These specific categories require careful judgement, but the LFPS meeting endorsed the use of them to highlight to recipients that skilled observers – the LFPS – judged problems to be significantly important and potentially in urgent need of resolution.
2.1. It will be the LFPS’s decision to use the ‘Personal Safety Issue’ tick box, e.g. a rickety stile may not deserve a tick if it is relatively low and there are plenty of handholds to traverse it reasonably safely. Whereas a rickety stile that sinks backwards towards a road edge would need the tick box used.
2.2. For a problem to be ticked with ‘Ramblers: High Priority’ it would almost certainly have one of the other more obviously problematic categories ticked (e.g. Aggressive animal(s)) and effectively the FP or BW would be rendered impassable for that reason until resolved. Experience will tell us how to use this category.
3. When saving the Report Form the naming convention of the file is an essential part of the data recording system so it is vital to follow this simple notation described.
Where 20170403 is the date of saving in yyyymmdd format and 01 is the first report number for the date. (NOTE: It is unlikely that you’ll want to save more than 99 reports in a single day!)
The Parish three-letter abbreviations can be obtained from Appendix 1 and should be used for all reports, having identified in which Parish/City/Borough the problem occurs. Reference to the ESCC Online RoW Map (see 1 above) will assist this process.
Once the Problem Report Form is completed, save it with a file name specifically to show the reported Parish and date, as described.
4. Then email the completed Problem Report Form directly to ESCC RoW: [email protected], much as before. Additionally it is important to simultaneously send a copy email to:
If you are reporting a problem away from your own Parish, please remember to also copy the LFPS for the relevant Parish, so that they are made aware of the report.
5. If you want to use a paper based reporting procedure only, please contact the AFPO who will arrange for you to receive printed Report Forms for completion. You will then be
BMqo>C:\Users\Bev\Dropbox\Sussex Area Ramblers 17\Problem Reporting\RoW Problem Reporting in East Sussex 20170512.docx able to complete forms and mail one copy to ESCC RoW team and another copy to the AFPO (who will make sure the “back office” record “database” is informed).
6. If you use an Apple Mac with the native word processor the supplied template file probably can be used but some formatting may be damaged. A LibreOffice Problem Report Form file can be supplied and Apple Macs will allow this free software to be run and produce a resulting file that has a suitable formatted layout.
7. From this logging process we will be able to see any trends appearing to help us work with the ESCC RoW team; we hope to negotiate remedial actions to overcome problems in a more managed way, given the ever reducing budgets for RoW issues.
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BMqo>C:\Users\Bev\Dropbox\Sussex Area Ramblers 17\Problem Reporting\RoW Problem Reporting in East Sussex 20170512.docx Appendix 1: Parish Abbreviations
This list of Parish Abbreviations is used in the RoW Problem Report Form file saving procedure, to name report files precisely for future “database” machine readable processing and analysis.
To check for LFPS details please refer to the Sussex Area Ramblers Directory and changes that may be notified through the eSussex Rambler.
Parish Abbreviation Parish Abbreviation Alciston ALC Firle FRL Alfriston ALF Fletching FLG Arlington ARL Forest Row FRW Ashburnham ASH Framfield FRM Barcombe BAR Frant FRT Battle BAT Guestling GSL Beckley BEC Hadlow Down HAD Beddingham & Glynde BDG Hailsham HLS Berwick BER Hamsey HAM Bexhill BEX Hartfield HRT Bodiam BOD Heathfield and Waldron HFW Brede BRD Hellingly HEL Brightling BRG Herstmonceux HMC Burwash BUR Hooe HOO Buxted BUX Horam HOR Camber CAM Hurst Green HSG Catsfield CAT Icklesham ICK Chailey CHL Iden IDN Chalvington with Ripe CVR Iford IFD Chiddingly CHD Isfield ISF Crowborough CRW Kingston nr Lewes KGS Crowhurst CRH Laughton LAU Cuckmere Valley CUK Lewes LEW Dallington DAL Little Horsted LHS Danehill DAN Long Man LMN Ditchling DCT Maresfield MAR East Chiltington ECH Mayfield MAY East Dean & Friston ENF Mountfield MTF East Guldeford EGD Newhaven NHV East Hoathly EHO Newick NWK Etchingham ETC Ninfield NIN Ewhurst EWH Northiam NTM Fairlight FLT Peacehaven PHV Falmer FAL Peasmarsh PEA
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Parish Abbreviation Penhurst PEN Pett PET Pevensey PVN Piddinghoe PDG Playden PLY Plumpton PLU Polegate POL Ringmer RNG Rodmell ROD Rotherfield ROF Rye RYE Rye Foreign RYF St Ann Without SAW St John Without SJW Salehurst and Robertsbridge SAL Seaford with Bishopstone SEB Sedlescombe SED Selmeston SEL South Heighton SHG Southease STH Streat STR Tarring Neville TRN Telscombe TSC Ticehurst TIC Uckfield UCK Udimore UDM Wadhurst WAD Warbleton WRB Wartling WRT Westfield WSF Westham WTH Westmeston WMN Whatlington WTL Willingdon and Jevington WJV Withyham WYH Wivelsfield WIV
Note: It is NOT anticipated that Parish/Abbreviations will be changed. This edition is current for 2017-May.
City / Borough Abbreviation Brighton BRT Eastbourne EBN Hastings HAS
BMqo>C:\Users\Bev\Dropbox\Sussex Area Ramblers 17\Problem Reporting\RoW Problem Reporting in East Sussex 20170512.docx Appendix 2: Problem Categories
This list provides addition details and is derived from previous lists used by various systems. The Problem Report Form now has examples of categories to be used.
Animals (cattle) - aggressive on FP Barbed wire - too close to FP Bridge – surface damaged Bridge – handrail damaged Electric Fence - no provision to cross Finger post – post broken Finger post - finger(s) broken Finger post - loose / leaning Finger post - missing Finger post - overgrown / obscured Footpath - obstructed (fallen tree(s)) Footpath - obstructed (scrub overgrown) Gate - damaged (does not open) Gate - damaged (drops when opened) Gate - padlocked (cannot be opened) Gateway - severely flooded / excessive mud Gateway – overgrown Misleading notice(s) - unofficial Over-grown trees – obstructing height Over-grown shrubs / bushes – obstructing width Stile - cross step(s) damaged / loose / missing Stile - steady post broken / damaged Stile - loose in ground (unstable) Stile - undergrowth covering lowest step Stile - additional cross step required Stile - steady post required Surface condition - very uneven (roots / rocks) Surface condition - very wet / very muddy Surface condition - undergrowth severely impedes way Way-marker (low level) - broken Way-marker (low Level) - missing Way-marker (low level) - overgrown / obscured Way-marker - post (mid or high level) required
2017-04-21 (email address revised) and city/borough codes added
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