Ben Perkins reviews Rights of Way information
Ben Perkins, Chairman of the Access and Rights of Way Committee, (22 September 2008) takes a look at how our local authorities provide information on Rights of Way on their web sites.
Perennially strapped for cash and short of other resources, local authorities have been slow to grasp the potential for providing rights of way information via the Internet.
The South Downs Joint Committee, responsible for the management of rights of way within the downland area, have an electronic form for reporting problems. Although currently developing a detailed set of large-scale maps showing rights of way, these are not available on line.
East Sussex County Council are still back in the dark ages when it comes to effective communication on rights of way matters. Its web site offers only very basic information and has no on-line method for reporting right of way problems.
Hampshire County Council provide an electronic method of reporting problems and a map showing rights of way, though this offers no more information than the OS Explorer map.
With its interactive map West Sussex County Council are undoubtedly ahead of the field. Showing rights of way and open access land established under the CROW Act, it can also be manipulated to indicate permissive paths and other features such as pubs, long distance routes, and circular walks. Also indicated are a handful of routes suitable for wheelchair users. The base maps used by West Sussex County Council, depending on the scale chosen by the user, are of variable quality and generally unimpressive. None are good enough for use in the field where the OS Explorer map remains indispensable. Problems encountered by path users can be reported via an on-line form, pin-pointed by using the right of way numbers which are, usefully, included on the interactive map path overlay. Listed separately on the West Sussex web site are a number of ‘unavailable’ paths (a euphemism for illegally obstructed in most cases) and temporarily closed paths, usually shut down for health and safety reasons, often for months at a time. However sophisticated the provision of information or the method of reporting problems, our Area Access Officers find that obtaining a response to reported problems is much less smooth or prompt. It still requires human beings to get things done and the personnel in rights of way departments are thin on the ground and hard-pressed.
Rights of Way Web Sites
West Sussex County Council; www.westsussex.gov.uk
East Sussex County Council: www.eastsussex.gov.uk
Hampshire County Council: www.hants.gov.uk
South Downs Joint Committee www.southdowns.gov.uk
In each case, search for ‘Rights of Way’ from the home page.