Contact: Andrew Smith, ext 6003, e-mail: [email protected]

Jo Hale, ext. 7717, e-mail: [email protected].

1. Summary

1.1 The Corporate Strategy identifies the need to ensure that the services offered by Hampshire County Council are inclusive and recognises the importance of building strong and safe communities through working together and increasing participation in healthy activities including walking and cycling.

1.2 In response to these corporate priorities and new responsibilities arising from the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 the Countryside Service have set up an Access Development Team to build on the experience and good practice developed through our participation in two National Pathfinder projects (The Integrated Access Demonstration Programme and the Rights of Way Improvement Plan National Pilot Programme). The team work closely with colleagues across the service, as well as external organisations, to demonstrate the value of countryside access and to develop innovative approaches to access improvements.

1.3 This report outlines that work in more detail with specific examples presented during a ten minute presentation to be provided for Elected Members at the Policy Review Committee.

2. Purpose of the report

2.1 The purpose of this report is to:

(a) Provide an update, as requested by members, on the delivery of our new duties and responsibilities under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000

(b) Present the access development work of the Countryside Service, (including recent feedback on our performance from the Countryside Agency) and demonstrate how local communities are getting involved with our work to provide opportunities for people to enjoy Hampshire's countryside

(c) Secure support from the Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee for the development of work to encourage more people to access and enjoy Hampshire's countryside.

3. Background

3.1 The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 established new duties and responsibilities for Hampshire County Council. Amongst these new responsibilities the County Council must set up and administer a Local Access Forum and publish a Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Hampshire. In addition, Hampshire County Council has responsibility, as access authority, to oversee the new rights of access to open country and registered common land.

3.2 The Access Development Team was established in April 2004, as part of the Countryside Service Review, to assist in the delivery of these new duties and responsibilities as well as taking forward innovative and new approaches to developing and improving countryside access.

3.3 The Team work closely with colleagues in the Countryside Service, other departments in Hampshire County Council, the Hampshire Countryside Access Forum, as well as external organisations and community groups to deliver these access improvements.

4. Open Access Land

4.1 The Countryside and Rights of Way Act created a new right of access for the public to land which has now been mapped as `Access Land'. This new right, sometimes misleadingly known as the `right to roam', came into effect in Hampshire on December 14^th 2004. It is a right of access on foot to areas of open countryside which have been mapped as mountain, moor, heath, downland or registered common land. Clearly in Hampshire it is the last three of the these land types that have been mapped and therefore where the new rights now apply.

4.2 At the meeting of the Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee on November 18^th 2004 members considered how the County Council should respond to its powers and responsibilities with regard to these new rights. The Committee agreed that it would not be an appropriate use of resources to give a priority to ensuring that all the land that has been mapped is accessible and signed. The Committee endorsed the idea that had been supported by the Hampshire Countryside Access Forum that work should be undertaken to improve access only to those sites which would be of clear benefit to the public and which would improve the access network. Some reservation was expressed as to the impact that even this more limited approach would have on the existing work of the Countryside Service and therefore it was recommended that members should be updated on the effects of taking on this extra responsibility after six months.

4.3 During the last six months officers have been making an assessment of the measures needed to open up those currently inaccessible areas which, if they were made available and promoted, would be of benefit to the public. Initially fourteen areas were identified as clearly meeting this criteria, although others may possibly emerge once people become more aware of the land that has been mapped.

4.4 Taking this gradual approach has allowed the area teams of the Countryside Service to fit this task in with their other work. So far officers have identified the need for 43 gates, 11 map or information boards, 1 small bridge for a ditch crossing, some signing and waymarking and 500 metres of vegetation clearance.

4.5 The Countryside Agency's Access Management Grant Scheme will cover 75% of the cost of these items. The Council's contribution of £13,454 is being met partly from the additional budget which recognised the new responsibilities arising from the Countryside Rights of Way Act and by including work undertaken through the development of existing projects which can be included as `match' funding. The work to install new structures will be undertaken over the next six months and some work may be managed as a contract if it cannot easily be incorporated into existing work programmes for the area teams.

4.6 Whilst the above work ensures that access is provided to these new areas there is scope to extend the provision and promotion of the new rights if this is a priority emerging from Countryside Access Plan research and consultation. Improvements can also be made to land currently open to the public and some of the land management problems associated with pubic access could be eased. The Access Management Grant Scheme can help with these areas and officers will therefore be discussing with the Countryside Agency how the Scheme can help and how the Countryside Service's existing and planned access development work may serve as the Council's contribution. This should enable extra external resources to be made available at some locations that are already accessible to the public and as such will be a welcome support to our work.

5. Planning for Countryside Access

5.1 In 2002 Hampshire County Council became a national Rights of Way Improvement Plan exemplar authority, bidding successfully for Countryside Agency funding to pilot a wider `Countryside Access Plan' approach to this new duty. This was one of eight pilot projects across England. The inclusive approach adopted includes an assessment of all access to the countryside, including rights of way, and was approved by the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage and the Policy Review Committee in September 2002.

5.2 Two plan areas were chosen for the pilot, the Forest of Bere and Forest of Eversley, based on their proximity to urban conurbations and different landscape types. The development of these plans included two main research reports as well as substantial community consultation. The lessons learnt from this exemplar project have helped inform and develop the County Council's approach to producing a Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Hampshire.

5.3 These two plans have now been published and undergone public consultation. A further five plans will be produced by 2007 to form the Countryside Access Plan for Hampshire. The New Forest and South Downs Countryside Access Plans are currently in production and will be ready for public consultation by the end of the year. In addition to the Plans, an Action Plan and Annual Report is produced every year detailing the specific projects that will be taken forward and identifying the organisations and partners responsible. The most recent Annual Report will be available to members at the meeting.

5.4 The test of any pathfinder or pilot project is an independent evaluation of its result. The Countryside Agency employed independent consultants to review the outcomes of the pilots and Hampshire County Council's efforts have emerged very well. A recent letter to the Chief Executive from a senior director at the Countryside Agency is highly supportive of the approach endorsed by members and states that "your team has set a high standard that I know is already of great interest to similar authorities throughout England, and an inspiration to them in coping with this new and potentially difficult statutory duty." (The full text of this letter is shown in Appendix 1).

6. Community Engagement

6.1 The Hampshire Countryside Access Forum (HCAF), as described in a separate report to the PRC, is the Local Access Forum for Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth and currently consists of 16 members of the public with an interest in countryside recreation and access. Membership is balanced between those who use the countryside and those who manage the land as well as other interests such as tourism. The Forum is a statutory body that advises the County Council on matters regarding access to the countryside including the management of public access and improving people's enjoyment of the countryside.

6.2 The Forum has been very involved in agreeing the process for producing the Countryside Access Plans and advised the County Council on the membership of Working Groups that will be established for each of the 7 Plans. These working groups involve local people, who use or manage the countryside, to help identify the issues and priorities in the relevant plan area. Three of these groups currently exist and are very successful, providing a valuable insight and consensus on the issues but also assisting the County Council in implementing the plans.

6.3 In addition to listening to local communities and understanding their needs, the Countryside Service also enables parish councils, user groups and community organisations to contribute directly to practical access improvements.

6.4 In 2004 the Hampshire Countryside Access Forum hosted a meeting for parish council representatives to learn more about their roles, responsibilities and powers for providing and maintaining paths and other areas for countryside recreation. The prime purpose was to encourage Parishes to work with us in improving local access opportunities.

6.5 This was attended by over 150 parish council representatives from 100 parish councils and the feedback from the meeting suggested that some form of grant would assist them in delivering access improvements in their parish.

6.6 In response to this feedback a Small Grants Scheme has been developed and launched this year. This scheme provides 50% funding up to a maximum of £500 for Parish Councils to undertake works such as path surfacing, replacing stiles with gates, signage and information leaflets and boards. Each Parish Council has received information on the scheme and so far 58 parishes have asked for the application details. The Forum will be advising the County Council on the suitability of these applications for grant aid.

6.7 The Hampshire Paths Partnership scheme works closely with parish councils and community groups to provide volunteering opportunities and improve access. The scheme provides training and support for about 200 volunteer work days a year involving over 450 individual volunteers. An example of this work is a project held earlier this year involving 22 New Forest Scouts who replaced 7 stiles with kissing gates over the course of a weekend with funding from the Ramblers Association. This project, including the funding, was arranged and led by the Hampshire Paths Partnership officer.

6.8 In addition Hampshire Paths Partnership has created 16 health walks in the New Forest over the past few years and promotes them through a very popular series of leaflets.

7. Broadening the audience

7.1 The recent Hampshire County Council Mori residents' survey found that half a million residents in Hampshire made use of and benefited from using the countryside via the rights of way network. It was also evident that the young (under 24) and older age groups (65+) were under represented along with lower socio-economic groups and Black and Minority Ethnic communities.

7.2 One of the main aims of the Countryside Service is to provide facilities and access to enable all sections of the community to enjoy Hampshire's Countryside. The Countryside Access Plans assess the needs and requirements of the users and land managers but further work is often required to better understand the demands of those communities unrepresented in the countryside.

7.3 A survey into young peoples' demand for countryside recreation in Hampshire was completed in 2001 and the findings reported to the Recreation & Heritage PRC. The findings from this report have informed and contributed to the development of Trailblazer and other education projects.

7.4 Further engagement with other unrepresented community groups such as Black and Ethnic Minority is planned for the coming year.

7.5 Research into the Countryside Access Plans has identified conflicts and concerns that effect people's enjoyment of the countryside. A range of demonstration projects are currently being developed that will provide a better understanding of the conflicts and explore new approaches to tackling these issues. These include a parish wide access strategy, a dog walking campaign and a road safety scheme.

8. Health

8.1 A further objective of the Countryside Service is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life and health of the residents of Hampshire by providing facilities for recreation and physical activity in the outdoor environment. This year the Healthy Hampshire project was launched to encourage wider participation in the physical activities provided by Sports, Countryside and Community sections within the Recreation and Heritage Department. The Countryside Service is continuing to develop the opportunities for walking and cycling in the County and will be providing more information on the benefits of countryside recreation for health and wellbeing.

9. Conclusion

9.1 This report provides members with an update on a number of key access initiatives underway within the Countryside Service in response to recent legislation. The approach taken to Open Access, previously considered by members, is proving manageable by working with the Countryside Agency. The approach taken in relation to the production of Countryside Access Plans, including the involvement of the Hampshire Countryside Access Forum and local community stakeholders, is also proving successful.

9.2 This approach which fully supports corporate objectives concerning health, physical activity and community engagement has received national recognition as set out in the report. It is hoped that Elected Members will support this work not only in policy terms but also so far as efforts to increase the number of people benefiting from access to Hampshire's countryside.

Recommendations

It is recommended that Members of the Policy Review Committee:

i) Note the progress made in implementing the open access legislation and recommend that the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage supports the continued implementation of that work through a targeted grant application to the Countryside Agency.

ii) Fully support the access development work undertaken by the Countryside Service and in response to the national recognition recently obtained, recommends to the Executive Member that the current policy and approach is sustained.

iii) Endorse efforts to broaden opportunities for all parts of the community to benefit from access to Hampshire's countryside and recommends to the Executive Member that this work is continued in support of Corporate Policy objectives.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

N.B. the list excludes:

1. Published works.

2. Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

3. Title: None