Cash crucial to better footpaths (From Gazette & Herald)

Cash crucial to better footpaths

RIGHTS of way can only be improved and protected if councils are given enough money to do it, a senior North Yorkshire councillor has said.

Coun Peter Sowray, executive member for environmental services, was reacting to news that the Government is speeding up moves to ensure ramblers have rights of way under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act.

Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael told delegates at the Ramblers' Association annual general meeting at Newcastle University on Sunday that rights of way represent a key local service which is beneficial to local health, transport, recreation, tourism and the local economy.

He said the new act would include the introduction of a duty to produce rights of way improvement plans which would meet the needs of the 21st century.

These should include action statements by local highway authorities of proposals to improve and manage their networks to meet the needs of the public.

He confirmed that provision had been made in highway authorities' rate support grant for all the extra duties and responsibilities as a result of the new law.

And he said extra money would be available from this financial year onwards.

North Yorkshire County Council has previously been criticised by the Ramblers' Association for its record on rights of way maintenance.

But Coun Sowray said: "The county council has put a substantial amount of extra money in this year.

"If the Government are going to give us more that is good news - generally they come forward with new ideas and expect us to pay.

"Work to improve rights of way is ongoing. We are improving the maintenance of footpaths and policing them to make sure landowners do stick to the rules and keep footpaths open.

"But we have a resource problem. Staff are working as hard as they can round the clock and we have around 7,000 miles in footpaths in the county.

"We do support the Government policy - the county council policy is that we are determined to improve the public rights of way network - but resources are holding us back."

Mr Michael said: "Rights of way represent a key local service. They can be beneficial to local health, transport, recreation and tourism.

"And as events last year proved, rights of way are crucial to many local economies.

"They are an increasingly important part of our heritage and exist for the benefit of the community at large, in much the same way as the public road network does."

Updated: 11:00 Thursday, April 18, 2002