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Rights of Way

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Rights of Way Project

Listed below are some examples of Rights of Way work undertaken recently by Asken

Contact us at:

k.taylor@asken.co.uk

Countryside Council for Wales
Update to the Booklet – Managing Public Access

One of CCW’s key publications to help land managers, farmers and landowners, is a booklet called “Managing Public Access”.  Asken undertook a major edit of this (and its sister publication ‘Out in the Country’) in 2005.  It is now badly in need of updating.  Asken was commissioned to update/revise the Rights of Way section of the document, covering the changes brought about by, for example – the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and changes in the cross-compliance arrangements under the Common Agricultural Policy.

Project: Prioritisation of Maintenance and Enforcement
Client: Monmouthshire County Council

MCC have a commitment in their ROWIP to develop a system for prioritising its maintenance and enforcement work on rights of way. Asken, working with R4C, were appointed to develop ideas and consult local stakeholders about possible systems. Asken was responsible for providing initial suggestions and interpreting responses from consultees to produce a draft mechanism for prioritisation.

Project: Shipwrights' Way Multi-User Trail
Client: Hampshire County Council, East Hampshire District Council, Forestry Commission

The three authorities have devised the idea of linking a Country Park (Queen Elizabeth II Country Park) and Alice Holt Forest Park with a multi-user trail (i.e. for walkers, cyclists and horse riders). The proposed name for the route is the "Shipwrights' Way". Land Access and Asken worked together to assess the route's feasibility - an especially challenging one because of the mix of urban, rural and military training area to be crossed. The study identified various route options and assessed the relative merits of each. An estimation of costs was made, too.

Project: Thirlmere Cycleway
Client: Lake District National Park Authority/AECOM

Asken is working with AECOM to assist the LDNPA assess the possible impacts of the development of a family-friendly cycle route that will run around Thirlmere reservoir. The work will involve looking at the current level, pattern and type of usage of the area by pedestrians and cyclists, and how they reach the area. We will also look at the likely change in use following the route’s development. Local stakeholders will be consulted.

Project: Coniston-Foxfield Recreation Trail
Client: Lake District National Park Authority/Cumbria County Council

Asken is working with other specialists to assess the feasibility of a proposed recreational trail between Coniston and Foxfield. The proposal is to make use of an abandoned railway line. However, the line passes through agricultural land and there are other obstacles to be negotiated. The remit includes consulting the landowners and local communities, assessing the physical and legal obstacles to the route’s creation and designing (and costing out) engineering solutions.

Bowness-Windermere Cycleway
Lake District National Park Authority/Cumbria County Council

It has long been the ambition of these authorities to establish a safe, off-road cycleway between the two towns, a crucial link in the wider strategic network linking Kendal to Keswick. Asken was appointed to undertake consultation with landowners likely to be affected by the proposal and to work with engineers to determine the best alignment.

Sedbergh Multi-Use Trail – Benefit Assessment
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

Plans are being investigated to restore a short section of disused railway line near Sedbergh in Cumbria. Substantial costs will need to be incurred if the route is to be suitable for multiple use. Asken was appointed to assess the potential uses of the route and the economic benefits associated with it.

Evaluation of RoWIPs
Countryside Council for Wales

Working as sub-contractor to Resources For Change, Asken was part of a team charged with the task of evaluating ROWIPs produced by unitary authorities in Wales. This also involved an assessment of the likely scale of funds needed to implement the Action Plans.

Feasibility Study of Mountain Bike Route
Consortium of Authorities

Asken led a consortium of four consultancies in assessingthe feasibility of an intermediate level mountain bike route from SW Cumbria to E Yorkshire. The idea is being promoted by a consortium of five local authorities – North Yorkshire and Cumbria County Councils and the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Park Authorities. Emphasis was placed on the development of a route that will be of high quality, presents a challenge appropriate to a wide audience but uses largely existing bridleways and off-road routes.

Illegal Off-Road Motoring
Defra/FaberMaunsell

Asken worked on a major project for Defra to provide objective data on the scale and nature of the problem of illegal off-road use of mechanically propelled vehicles. This involved a number of case studies and fieldwork using monitoring devices. Asken was responsible for such work in the north of England. Click here for more information.

Tidal Trail Feasibility Study
North Somerset Council

The coast between Weston-super-Mare and Cleveden is something of a ‘missing link’ in the coastal trail around the entire South West peninsula. Asken and Land Access were appointed to explore the feasibility of completing the link. The section of coast is sensitive for conservation, land management, flood defence and health and safety. These are issue that will need to be considered during the course of the study through constraints mapping.Click here for more information.

Cumbria Rights of Way Improvement Plan
Lake District NPA, Cumbria County Council, FaberMaunsell

Asken worked as sub-contractor to FaberMaunsell to assist the two authorities to gather background material into the needs and preferences of actual and potential users of countryside access in Cumbria. Another task was to examine ways in which a selection of authorities prioritised actions within their RoWIP statement of actions. Click here for more information.

Provision of Rights of Way by Local Authorities
Countryside Agency

Asken was appointed by the Agency to analyse the success of local highway authorities in England in provision of public rights of way. The research involved an analysis and comparison of different datasets. Click here for more information.

Resources for Rights of Way and Access Management
Countryside Council for Wales/Rural Resources

Asken and Rural Resources assessed the skills and resources needed by Unitary and National Park Authorities across Wales. The work included a training needs assessment and a survey of all authorities in Wales, in order to identify the current situation and how this was expected to change as a result of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Preseli Hills Multi-User Trails
PLANED

Asken and FaberMaunsell were commissioned to examine the demand for and environmental impact of the development of new multi-user trails in the Preseli Hills area of Pembrokeshire. The network was to be based on existing bridleway routes but our research showed that demand was unlikely to be sufficient to justify the financial and environmental costs.

Further Development of a RoWIP for Lancashire
Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Borough Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Asken prepared the draft of the Councils’ Rights of Way Improvement Plan. This was produced after testing reaction amongst the Local Access Forum members and authority staff, to the key themes identified in earlier research. The draft RoWIP was then produced for public consultation. The final RoWIP was produced in the light of comments from the public. Click here for more information.

Guidance for RoWIP Preparation
Lincolnshire County Council

Asken worked alongside LCC staff to advise them on methods that could be used to undertake the research needed to prepare the Council’s Rights of Way Improvement Plan.

Policy Guidance for RoWIP
Countryside Council for Wales

Asken and Rural Resources pulled together best practice guidance for local highway authorities that would assist them in preparing their Rights of Way Improvement Plans.

Peak Forest Tramway – Feasibility Study and Project Management Plan
High Peak Borough Council/Entec UK Ltd

Entec and Asken assessed the feasibility of creating a multi-purpose access route (a greenway) along an abandoned tramway. The route is located on the edge of the Peak District. Asken’s role was to consider the demands for the route and how it can be developed and marketed to potential user groups. Having established that restoration of the route is feasible, the team was re-appointed to prepare a Project Management Plan for phase 1 of the work and deal with other strategic aspects of the route’s development.

Study of Byways Open to All Traffic
English Nature

Asken led a consortium of consultants, comprising Mike Furness and Penny Anderson Associates Ltd, to look at the environmental impact on ways that are accorded byway status. Based on experience with ways that have been upgraded, the team developed good practice guidance for use by EN regional officers and inform EN’s response to the government’s consultation paper on motor vehicles on rights of way.

Pilot Rights of Way Improvement Plan
Nottinghamshire County Council

Each highway authority in England and Wales is required to produce a Rights of Way Improvement Plan. Eight authorities in England agreed to act as guinea pigs and explored different aspects of preparing such plans. Nottinghamshire agreed to focus on vehicular use of RoW in several districts within the county. Asken, working with FaberMaunsell, assisted the council by conducting detailed research into the subject, the results of which it will need in order to prepare its plan.

Motor Vehicles and Rights of Way
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Motor vehicles using rights of way always excite lots of discussion, even where such use is legal (as it is on BOATs). Yet, surprisingly little reliable information was known about BOAT usage. FaberMaunsell, working with Asken Ltd, studied BOAT use across the country. The survey method involved using data loggers to measure vehicular use, and surveys of randomly selected routes. Asken’s role was to assist with obtaining qualitative data through consultation with user groups and other stakeholders.Click here for more information.

Non-Government Sources for Rights of Way Funding
Countryside Agency/Enteleca

Asken worked with Enteleca on a review of potential sources of funding for public rights of way. As central government support for public rights of way work tapers off, other sources of funding will become more important. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act imposes additional costs, too. This review gave the Agency some ideas for other possible sources that could be recommended to highway authorities.

Use and Demand for Public Rights of Way
Entec/Countryside Agency

Asken was asked to undertake focus group and case study investigations in selected areas around the country. The purpose of the research was to develop and assess various methodologies that the Agency could recommend to local authorities for use in preparing Rights of Way Improvement Plans.

Rights of Way Improvement Plan
North Somerset Council
Asken was appointed to write NSC's Rights of Way Improvement Plan. The remit was to prepare the document using existing research and documentation, and without further research. This was done to a level acceptable to the Countryside Agency. Click here for more information.

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