Environment | Fen News
and ruts and spread the planings across the surface of the byway,” he explains.
Above: Recycled road planings are used to bring routes up to a safe standard.
Above: All sorts of obstructions can impact our access to the countryside.
Although this approach, initially looks a bit stark, within a couple of years, grass and vegetation has grown back, but we are still left with a hard surface below. “As with all Local Government Services, our main limiting factor is making the most of a limited annual budget,” Mark confirms. “Much of the budget is spent each year on maintaining or repairing the surface of rights of way. “We have contractors mow a large majority of the footpaths, bridleways and byways twice each summer. “Often where heavier vegetation has encroached across a right of way over the years, I may have to get contractors to carry out an initial heavy-duty clearance, to
How Can We Help?
1. Get out and use your local footpaths, bridleways and byways, discovering your surrounding countryside as you do so.
2. Carry a pair of secateurs with you, to trim back encroaching vegetation as you come across it. Particularly around, stiles, gates and footbridges.
3. Offer to volunteer with your Parish Council to adopt or maintain particular Rights of Way
4. Follow the Country Code, demonstrate respect and
understanding of the countryside by always shutting gates behind you and keeping dogs on leads where there is livestock.
5. Should you find an issue with a Public Right of Way, you can report it on the Cambridgeshire County Council Website
http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/ highwayfaults
Above: Mark works with landowners who are guardians of our countryside.
enable effective ongoing annual maintenance.”
LAND GUARDIANS
The development and maintenance of a good rights of way network is very much based on working in partnership with a wide variety of people and organisations: Parish, Town and District Councils and their respective councillors, the Environment Agency and Internal Drainage Boards and large land- owning organisations such as the National Trust and the RSPB. “The majority of landowners that I deal with really care about the land and countryside that they are, in effect, guardians of,” Mark emphasises. “I tend to work on the principle with them, that where we have a right of access along Public Rights of Way, their best approach is to keep the line of the right of way, clear, safe to use and well signposted. “The beauty of the Public Rights
of Way Network is it can get you in to the middle of nowhere, able to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the surrounding countryside to yourself,” he adds.
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