Appendix 1

Hampshire County Council, Countryside Service

Priority Guidelines for assessing maintenance and enforcement problem reports on the network.

All maintenance and enforcement problems reported to the County Council or identified through internal inspections will be allotted a priority. Priorities will be assigned with regard to their effect upon the whole of the public.

The factors to be considered in every case in deciding the priority are:

· Level of danger to the public

· Level of use, or likely use, of the path and the type of path (eg Strategically important, route to school, etc)

· Inclusion as part of a recognised and promoted recreational route

· Volume of complaints received from different sources

· Degree of obstruction, encroachment or inconvenience

· Likely duration of problem

· Cause of problem - whether it is within HCC powers to rectify?

This list is in no order of importance nor weighting to be given to each factor.

Priorities to be assigned with consideration of the effect upon the whole public.

Priority 1

Accident/Incident where serious injury has occurred

Any matter that poses an immediate danger to the public

Failed or missing HCC structure

Matter requiring immediate engineering attention

Potentially dangerous bridge structure problems

A problem on a strategically important path which would otherwise be a Priority 2

Priority 2

Permanent encroachment/obstruction with no alternative route

Live planning non-compliance

Surface damage/disturbance preventing use by public

HCC structure requiring attention

Surfacing/vegetation problems on an HCC promoted route

Crops and ploughing on strategically important path

Surface/side vegetation making access impossible (not already included in the Priority Cutting List programme)

A problem on a strategically important path which would otherwise be a Priority 3

Priority 3

Non-HCC structures

Electric fencing without crossing aid

Temporary, significant obstruction/encroachment with no alternative route

Permanent encroachment/obstruction with alternative route

Crops and ploughing on non-strategically important path

Surface/side vegetation severely limiting path use (not already included in the Priority Cutting List programme)

Surface conditions making access inconvenient (where previously maintained)

New requests for handrails/steps/boardwalks/etc

A problem on a strategically important path which would otherwise be a Priority 4

Wilful removal of signpost in order to mislead the public

Priority 4

Misleading notices

Non-HCC structure making access inconvenient (eg high or ageing stile)

Technical obstruction/encroachment with no alternative route

Temporary, significant obstruction/encroachment with alternative route

Surface vegetation/conditions spoiling enjoyment of path (not already included in the Priority Cutting List programme)

Path improvement requests not covered by higher priorities

A problem on a strategically important path which would otherwise be a Priority 5

Priority 5

Issues on cul-de-sac path without terminal point of interest

De minimus obstruction/encroachment with alternative route

Pro-active, cyclical work outside of Priority Guidelines

Path waymarking and fingerposting (winter)

Priority Cutting List vegetation clearance (spring/summer/autumn)

Upkeep of Hcc Promoted Routes (and where possible Off Road Cycle Routes)

Major works funded by capital bids (executed during summer/autumn)

Heavy vegetation clearance (winter)