Decision details

To consider a report on the Rights of Way and Countryside Sites Strategic Commissioning Strategy.

42.1     The Assistant Director, Operations introduced the report on the strategic commissioning project for the rights of way and countryside site management functions. In March 2014 the Committee received a report from Rights of Way and Countryside Maintenance (RoW/CM) Manager, Simon Fathers, outlining the service and the associated costs. As part of the recommendations of the March 2014 report, the Committee endorsed the development of a commissioning strategy for rights of way and countryside site management.

42.2     Alice Henderson, who is the Project Manager of the commissioning strategy project, outlined the work that has been undertaken to date and the various key stages in the project timetable (paragraph 2.3 of the report). Usage and stakeholder surveys have been undertaken to understand peoples’ views on the services and sites that the service manages. The surveys have also sought to gather data on the use of sites, services and rights of way. This has been an important preliminary stage in the project as there is limited existing data to inform our understanding of need.

42.3     The report seeks the Scrutiny Committee’s view on the way in which the Committee would like to be involved with the commissioning strategy project.

Cost of Existing Services

42.4     The revenue budget for the RoW/CM team is £570,000 per year. This divided into two parts:

·        Maintenance of the 200 mile rights of way network £440,000 per year.

·        Maintenance of the ten countryside sites £130,000 per year.

42.5     The revenue budget for this service has been reduced by £384,000 in the last three years. In 2014/15 there was also a £330,000 capital budget which was used for resurfacing larger rights of way routes and the bridge replacement programme.

42.6     The Committee asked if the department had a view on how much of this budget would be needed as savings in future financial years from 2016/17 onwards. The Director of Communities, Economy and Transport stated that the level of corporate savings in future years was yet to be determined. In addition, the department does not want to prejudice the outcome of the strategic commissioning process, but it was incumbent on all Departments to look at different ways of delivering services.

42.7     The department has undertaken preliminary work to understand how the public regard the service and to understand the need for the rights of way and countryside site service. Once this work is advanced or completed, the department can then look at ways of meeting those needs, within the resources available. The information data gathered as part of the strategic commissioning process will be analysed together with the existing asset management plan.

Parish Councils, Voluntary Groups and Volunteers

42.8     The Committee asked what support there is from the Parish Councils and volunteers in the maintenance of rights of way. The amount of support from Parish Councils varies around the County. Some are very active, but others are less involved in rights of way and countryside site management. Experience suggests that Parish Councils are only usually interested in maintaining those paths closest to their parish and usually only the first few hundred metres. The commissioning strategy will include how to engage Parish Councils and volunteers in the service

42.9     The service already engages with a wide range of user groups, including the Ramblers Association and a number of volunteer groups. It is important that anyone working on a right of way has the necessary training, which can be provided by the team. Volunteers can play an important role in a range of activities, such as staffing the Visitor Centre at Seven Sisters Country Park. All these groups have been invited to comment in the stakeholder consultation.

Stakeholders Views

42.10   A summary of the work to establish stakeholder views is contained in paragraph 2.6 of the report. The Lead Member commented that it is necessary and important to establish an evidence base, so that a holistic and strategic approach can be taken across the County, and to be clear what ESCC can do and what others can do.

42.11   The Committee asked how aware ESCC local Members were of the stakeholder meetings. Only one local Member indicated they would attend one of the five stakeholder workshops that were held. The Committee requested that the views and concerns raised at the workshops be presented at the first review board meeting.

42.12   Approximately 16%-17% of the rights of way network is within the South Downs National Park. There are parts of the National Park where the public has a right to roam as defined by the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act, but ESCC is not responsible for maintaining the right to roam. The National Park Authority has been included in the consultation and a presentation was made at one on the National Park’s Access Forum meetings.

42.13   RESOLVED: It was resolved to:

1)     Note the progress made on the development of the commissioning strategy for rights of way and countryside management; and

2)     Approve the creation of a Review Board, which is comprised of all the members of the Scrutiny Committee, to look the development of the commissioning strategy.