EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE AND KINGSTON UPON HULL Joint Local Access Forum 12th Annual Report 2015 - 2016 WELCOME TO THE TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE AND KINGSTON UPON HULL JOINT LOCAL ACCESS FORUM (JLAF) Chairman’s Summary This has been an interesting year as we move closer Government funding, we are also exploring other to the opening of the East Yorkshire section of the funding sources to continue and expand the work of England Coast Path. Negotiations between Natural the Local Access Forum. England and landowners have been ongoing and the main change of which we are aware is that the route Between the publication of this report and the end of will go as far as Easington then cut across to the the year, our local authorities will be going through Humber Estuary. One of the big challenges, on safety the due processes of recruiting and appointing new grounds, was determining the route around the old members to the Forum. I would encourage anyone RAF Cowden bombing range but this hopefully seems interested to please contact the Secretariat for more to have now been resolved. information about joining us. Before too long we hope to have access to figures for Our annual report also includes progress updates those sections of the Coast Path already open, showing from both our local authorities relating to work the cost/benefit and spend per head in the local and undertaken in the past year to improve rights of rural communities, which should indicate the long term way and public access. It promises to be another financial benefits that our coastal areas can expect. interesting year ahead, especially as Hull will become the UK City of Culture in 2017. Everyone can benefit Our members continue to attend a broad spectrum of from free access to outdoor recreation and we hope meetings relevant to the Forum’s statutory advisory throughout the next year, working with both Hull role on access. These include external partnerships City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, to relating to transport, waterways, culture, public health continue to improve, enhance and enlarge all areas of and rural issues, as well as management groups for the this work. Yorkshire Wolds Way and the Trans Pennine Trail. Hazel Armstrong As you will see in this report, the Forum has Chair responded to a good number of consultations in The East Riding of Yorkshire and Kingston upon Hull the last year, both local and national, and we shall Joint Local Access Forum continue to keep a keen eye on events which affect May 2016 items within our statutory remit. In a time of reduced 2 Membership of the Joint Local Access Forum The Forum is constituted to provide a balance of views representing: • Different recreational user interests • Landowners and land managers • Other relevant interests The Forum consists of 14 members, including two Councillor representatives from East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council. Name Interests Represented Hazel Armstrong (Chair) Equestrianism, Social Inclusion and Health Stephen Richardson (Vice Chair) Country Sports, Conservation and Business Peter Ayling Walking and Conservation Michael Butler Rural Business and Conservation John Gatenby Conservation and Farming John Nicholson Waterways, Transport, Walking and Cycling Rosemary Stanley Walking and Conservation Brian Witty Cycling and Sustainable Transport Michael Benson Cycling and Canoeing Gordon Hawcroft Farming, Rural Tourism and Conservation John Jessop Walking, Horse Riding, Waterways and Social Inclusion Stephen King Walking and Rural Business Councillor Terry Geraghty (Hull City Council) Elected Member Representative Councillor Arthur Hodgson (East Riding of Yorkshire Council) Elected Member Representative Forum Meetings Four formal public meetings of the Local Access Forum were held during the year: Number of Number of Number of invited Date Venue forum members members of public officers/speakers attending in attendance attending 17 June 2015 - AGM Burnby Hall, Pocklington 12 4 9 16 September 2015 Council Chambers, Skirlaugh 6 2 6 16 December 2015 County Hall, Beverley 12 3 11 16 March 2016 Worklink, Cottingham 10 9 7 3 Review of the JLAF Operating Year 2015-16 Objective Activities Undertaken and Advice Provided Green Infrastructure – provide • JLAF members continued to monitor the management of green lanes and to work closely with East Riding strategic advice on the of Yorkshire Council in this challenging area. The JLAF recommended additional management measures planning and management which were supported and undertaken by the Council during the year. of key recreational green • JLAF provided advice on the Hull Local Plan Preferred Options Paper, and the Secretariat attended a infrastructure assets in the East Hull Local Plan Forum (November 2015). Advice included stronger reference to the ROWIP and network Riding and Hull: connectivity, and better linkages between walking/cycling, health and culture. • Management of the extensive • JLAF supported ongoing work relating to the England Coast Path. Advice was provided to Natural England ‘green lane’ network (East Riding) at a stakeholder briefing in January 2016 and at the September and March JLAF meetings. • Development of the Hull Local • JLAF members contributed to Yorkshire Wolds Ways Partnership meetings during the year. Plan • JLAF members joined the Trans Pennine Trail Eastern Management Group in the past year. • Development of the England • JLAF attended the opening of the new Alexandra Dock public right of way (May 2015) having previously Coast Path provided access advice on the proposals. • Management of the Yorkshire • JLAF members gave advice and support for proposals to widen the footpath and enable shared cycle Wolds Way National Trail access adjacent to the B1230 road across Beverley Westwood (September 2015). • Management of the Trans • JLAF members attended the Completion Visit of the Albert Dock Flood Defence Scheme (December 2015) Pennine Trail having previously provided access advice for the proposals. Continue to strengthen and • JLAF contributed to the East Riding Public Health ‘Health and Well-being Strategy’ consultation, and to develop links with: the developing ‘Strategy to Tackle Obesity (2016-2020)’. The Secretariat attended two East Riding • Health and Wellbeing Boards/ Healthy Weight Strategy Steering Group meetings in the past year. Public Health. • Two meetings were held between JLAF and Humber Nature Partnership representatives to strengthen • Hull and East Yorkshire Local linkages, share information and discuss common issues. Nature Partnerships (LNPs). • JLAF members continued to promote the benefits of responsible access and partnership working, • Local Enterprise Partnerships including ongoing dialogue with landowner organisations (NFU/CLA). (LEPs). • JLAF member Gordon Hawcroft had an access article published in a national farming magazine, and • Farmers and landowners a local farmer attended the June 2015 JLAF meeting to discuss permissive access. • Key Local Partnerships • JLAF members provided advice to East Riding of Yorkshire Council to help develop a guidance leaflet for farmers relating to cross-field footpaths. • JLAF members attended meetings of the Leader Local Action Group and the Rural, Cultural, Transport and Waterways Partnerships in the East Riding. • There was no engagement with LEPs in the past year, other than forwarding copies of the JLAF’s annual report. This is an area of future development. Respond to important local • JLAF members attended a site visit to Eastrington Ponds Local Nature Reserve (September 2015) to and national consultations inform advice on a new management plan. JLAF advice was included in the draft plan. relevant to access and rights • Ongoing JLAF advice on definitive map modification order consultations in the East Riding of Yorkshire of way and Hull was provided – twelve consultations in 2015-16. • JLAF provided advice to First TransPennine on the Hull-Brough-Selby Rail Station Travel Plan (September 2015). JLAF advice was included in the updated plan (improvements for travellers with mobility and hearing difficulties, better links/promotion of the Trans Pennine Trail). • JLAF provided advice on an interim consultation relating to the England Springs Rail crossing, supporting in principle an improved means of crossing for bridleway users (October 2015). Help to promote local • ROWIP updates from both authorities were included in the previous JLAF annual report. authority progress against the • The annual report was circulated (hard and electronic copy) to a wide range of external and internal Hull City Council and East contacts, including Natural England and the Yorkshire & Humber Regional Access Forum in the past year. Riding of Yorkshire Council • A display promoted the JLAF, ROWIP and the value of countryside access at a launch event for the East Rights of Way Improvement Yorkshire Local Food Network 2015 Guide (April 2015). Plans (ROWIPs) • There was a JLAF display at the Driffield Show (July 2015), an annual event attended by over 20,000 visitors. • Progress updates from both authorities were provided at quarterly JLAF meetings, held in public during the year. Continue to actively • The Chair and Vice Chair attended a Regional Access Forum meeting (September 2015). participate in regional and • East Riding of Yorkshire Council hosted the March 2016 Regional Access Forum meeting, with the national LAF activities Chair and Secretariat Officer attending. Issues discussed included the loss of permissive