Report Template for the Local Access Forum
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Sandwell M.B.C – Local Access Forum Report on ROWIP Process Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Sandwell Local Access Forum 18th October 2005 Assessment of Responses to RoWIP Pre-plan Consultation 1. Summary Statement 1.1 Council officers have been busy carrying out the assessment since work began on preparing Sandwell’s Draft RoWIP. As part of this officers have investigated the responses received in the consultation period. 1.2 Over 150 individual responses were received during the consultation. The routes included in these comments were surveyed, where possible, throughout August and September 2005. 1.3 In addition to surveying the consultation routes, the responses are still being fully assessed in relation to their existing highway status and their relevance for possible inclusion in the Draft RoWIP. There was also a series of general comments that related to improvements to the overall network. A plan is attached which shows the site specific consultation routes mapped spatially. 1.4 A list is attached to this report containing the consultation responses received by the Council. It has been made anonymous and shows the assessment progress to date. When this part of the RoWIP assessment is complete some consultation routes may drop out of the process, e.g. requests may be covered by the Councils existing duties relating to its public rights of way and these will need to be looked at separate to this process. Page 1 Sandwell M.B.C – Local Access Forum Report on ROWIP Process 2. Recommendations: 2.1 The Local Access Forum note the consultation table. Contact Officers Craig Rowbottom/Stephen Leigh Assistant/Temporary Assistant Public Rights of Way Officers Transportation Planning 0121 569 4151/4219 Assessment of Responses to ROWIP Pre-Consultation 3. Strategic Resource Implications 3.1 Any projects that are proposed by the RoWIP can be designed to be funded from several sources. Examples of this could be from existing Council budgets or money from the Local Transport Plan. 4. Legal and Statutory Implications 4.1 The local Highway Authority has a statutory requirement to have a completed RoWIP by November 2007. 4.2 The local Highway Authority has a statutory requirement to consult the LAF throughout the process of making its assessment of its RoWIP. 5. Implications for the Council’s Corporate Priorities 5.1 The outcomes of the final RoWIP will help to secure an improved Rights of Way (RoW) network. This improved network will have numerous benefits to the community, e.g. increase access to services, jobs and public transport nodes by means other than by private car. The RoWIP could also help raise the standard of the environment and provide improved facilities as part of the Councils key priority for Creating Safer, Cleaner and Stronger communities. Page 2 Sandwell M.B.C – Local Access Forum Report on ROWIP Process 6. Background Details Progress 6.1 As part of the Councils assessment for the Draft RoWIP officers have been investigating the responses received during the pre-plan consultation. A list of the responses can be seen in Appendix A. The table contains the data gathered over the consultation period and the surveying period. 6.2 These responses were preliminary assessed to enable site surveys to be carried out. There were about 130 routes surveyed across the borough. 6.3 The survey data was used to work out exactly where each of the consultation routes lay and notes were made on the computer database of what was requested and the state of the route. This process also involved sending letters to the other local authorities containing comments received during Sandwell’s pre-plan consultation that were not in Sandwell’s geographic area. 6.4 The next stage was to check the consultation routes with our existing records of known highway status e.g. if the response relates to a route recorded as a public right of way, or if was included in a statutory order for creation. This information will help determine if and how these comments can be incorporated in the Draft RoWIP. A plan is attached which shows all of site specific consultation routes mapped spatially. 6.5 As well as receiving site specific issues during the consultation process, there were also general comments that required attention. These can be seen in Appendix B. 6.6 Appendix C contains miscellaneous comments regarding general improvements to Sandwell’s paths and Rights of Way network. 6.7 The next stage is to asses if the comments received are relevant to be put forward for inclusion in the Draft RoWIP. When this part of the RoWIP assessment is complete some consultation routes may drop out of the process, e.g. Page 3 Sandwell M.B.C – Local Access Forum Report on ROWIP Process requests may be covered by the Councils existing duties relating to its public rights of way and these will need to be looked at separate to this process. Appendix A – Site Specific Responses to Sandwell’s Pre-Plan RoWIP Consultation Location of Response received Surveyors Notes Known path in Consultation Highway Status Along Route or Any Part of it Pleck Park - Formalise as ROW Attempted Survey and comments None Ikea were passed on to neighbouring authority – No path found. Most of the path is probably in Walsall MBC. Green Lane Formalise as ROW Surveyed the site - Surface slightly None Bridge over the eroded and the vegetation needs Tame Valley trimming. No signposts or lights. Canal. Hamstead Road The route is not Survey attempted - Path is completely PROW – Newton Road clear as the service blocked by overgrown vegetation. FP17/WB road is not shown on There is no surface and access is (Footpath) the map. extremely difficult. (Draft Map only) Greenfield Road This is an essential The surface is good, vegetation None – Hamstead route for pedestrians trimmed, lighting along the route Road and protection is however there is a small amount of needed. litter. Highfield Road Formalise as ROW Surveyed – There is a shared None – Greenfield road/path access to garages and the Road surface is OK - Slightly worn. No lighting, small amount of litter, vegetation is overgrow and not good. Forge Mill Lake, Formalise these Surveyed – The path leads to a nature None linking over paths and consider reserve, shared with car park. The railway to improvements in tracks around Forge Mill Lake are Tanhouse conjunction with the included under different section. Avenue. RSPB. Vegetation on this section needs trimming, surface is good however there are small amounts of litter. Valley Road – These paths are Surveyed - Path is lit and the surface None Valerie Grove essential for local is poor at the southern end. residents. Vegetation is OK. No signposting and there are small amounts of litter. Woodfort Road These paths need a Surveyed - Steps are old and need None – James Road status critical to replacement; the path does not pedestrian actually go anywhere, there is no movement. lighting and the surface is poor. Page 4 Sandwell M.B.C – Local Access Forum Report on ROWIP Process Gorse Farm Gorse Farm Bridge Surveyed - Steep climb to the bridge PROW Bridge not shown on the where the surface is not good, FP40B/WB map, essential to handrail is OK, surface good from the (Footpath) pedestrian bridge, vegetation is OK and well (Draft Map movement. trimmed. only) Cromane There are a large Surveyed - Access good to this area Adopted Square number of ROW’s in although possible over supply, lighting Footpath this area and they good, surface good, sign posted and should be there is no litter. rationalised. Hamstead Road This route continues Surveyed – There are no signposts, None – Ennerdale across the green the surface is OK, vegetation is Road through Langdale to slightly overgrown, lighting in place, Spouthouse. blind area in the path from Hamstead Essential route to road to Ennerdale Road. school. Eastwood Road The weeds along Surveyed - Vegetation trimmed None – Shenstone the path need already, no apparent Litter, Surface Road clearing – an good although sloping and causing essential route to damp to number 47 Eastwood Road. school. No signpost, no lighting, ASB problems and dog mess problems along the path. Shenstone The weeds along Surveyed - No apparent litter, the None Road – the path need surface is good, vegetation is Allendale Grove clearing – an becoming a problem and there are no essential route to signposts. school. Waddington Formalise as a Surveyed – The surface is stone CRF15/WB Avenue – ROW. chippings, there is a litter problem, no (Road Used as Newton Road signposting, no lighting along the a Public Path) route. and FP15/WB (Footpath) (Draft Map only) Waddington Needs a status – Surveyed – Surface is in a very poor None Avenue – route used by condition; there is a Lot of Litter. Jayshaw hundreds of people There is a vegetation problem, shared Avenue daily. access to garages (vehicles using path). No lighting. Pear Tree Close Needs to be Surveyed – On this path there are Adopted – Ray Hall Lane signposted as a link. parts that are very overgrown and Footpath narrow. There is scope for widening, the litter situation is OK, The Surface has been Worn, There are sign posts located at both ends but none to tell where it goes, lighting is provided. Pear Tree Road Formalise and Surveyed - The path is dark in places, None – Chatsworth resurface this link. the subway is dark and under lit, there Avenue are minor litter problems, graffiti is on the sub station, Conifers should be trimmed. Wrottesley Formalise as a Surveyed – The surface is OK/good, None Road – Longleat ROW. the vegetation is good, and there are Drive small amounts of litter. Not signed or lit. Page 5 Sandwell M.B.C – Local Access Forum Report on ROWIP Process Black Lake – Formalise as a Surveyed – (East to West) The path None The Hawthorns ROW.