Rights of way improvement plan 2020 to 2030

The public rights of way network is the most extensive resource available to people to access the natural environment. Everyone should be able to be able to use and benefit from public rights of way irrespective of ability.

It is important to provide information tailored to particular users and our actions around this are covered in Theme 4. Theme 5 covers other actions to ensure that everyone can benefit from public rights of way.

To support more people with disabilities in using the public rights of way network, we will:

• Seek to create routes with high levels of accessibility, working with partners to deliver and seek funding, and provide promotional material (AE1.1).
• Adhere where possible to BS5709: 2018 standards for new infrastructure and develop path maintenance schedules through the management matrix to ensure least restrictive access. Apply BS5709: 2018 to new or diverted routes (AE1.2).
• Continue to remove stiles and replace with gaps, gates or kissing gates and support communities and user groups to achieve this aim. Explore ways to seek removal of structures where livestock is no longer present (AE1.3).

There is great diversity amongst people with a disability, taking different forms and having an impact on people’s lives in many ways.

The term covers a wide range of conditions, including:

• mobility difficulties
• blind or partial sightedness
• learning difficulties
• mental health problems

Some disabilities are permanent; some only affect people intermittently or temporarily. While some people have lived with their disability from birth, most people develop impairments in the course of their life or simply as they get older.

The 2011 Census recorded that 67,928 Buckinghamshire residents had a long term limiting illness; around 13.4% of the population.

As age is a key factor in the prevalence of disability, the number of people with a limiting illness will increase as the proportion of older people in Buckinghamshire’s population increases.

There are a range of factors which deter or prevent disabled people from exploring the countryside and rights of way:

• physical barriers (steps, steep gradients, stiles and gates)
• lack of accessible information
• lack of accessible toilets
• lack of confidence
• low expectations
• not feeling welcome
• fear over safety or of getting lost
• lack of convenient and accessible public transport
• lack of seating and opportunities to rest or take shelter
• cost of transport, parking fees and refreshments
• poorly maintained environment

Improving the physical condition of paths is important to enable greater use. It is clearly not possible to ensure all routes and paths, even at the most visited sites, are fully accessible to all people. However, adopting the principle of ‘least restrictive access’ is important. For example, accessible pedestrian gates and kissing gates should be installed instead of stiles or narrow kissing gates. The least restrictive option, as outlined in BS 5709:2018, ideally recommends a gap.

In the public survey and engagement carried out for this ROWIP, users with a disability were clear that they wanted more routes that were accessible to them, stiles replaced with gates or kissing gates and more information on where to go.

Surfacing is also important. Attention also needs to be given to other structures such as ramps, widths of bridges, gradients and steps. Poor quality structures and overgrown paths also create hazards. Maintenance must therefore also be a high priority.

Since the first ROWIP accessibility has been greatly improved through removing stiles.

The Chiltern Society’s ‘Donate a Gate’ scheme has been responsible for significant improvements in the accessibility of the public rights of way network. A total of 569 gates have been donated over 12 years, equating to over £100,000 worth of investment.

Similarly, the community group ‘rRipple’ in north Buckinghamshire has also organised the replacement of over 190 stiles with gates since early 2016, with private donations totalling £13,500. Funding donated by local people and community groups between July 2016 and Sept 2019 totalled £13,500. The free labour these volunteers provide is also of great value to the public and the council.

Stiles replaced with gates from 2008 to 2018:

• 1,864 stiles removed
• 27% of stiles that were on the network in 2008 have been removed
• 266 Stiles changed to gaps
• 624 Stiles changed to gates
• 974 Stile changed to kissing gates

The council will continue to negotiate with landowners to remove stiles where they are no longer needed and will explore options to seek the removal of stiles where livestock is no longer present. Structures installed for livestock control through Public Path Orders will need to comply with British Standard BS5709: 2018.

The council will also prioritise removal of structures both across the county and particularly around the urban fringe.

The council will also seek to improve the accessibility of existing structures, for example, ramped approach to bridges, replacing steps, or increasing widths. Sometimes the use of an entire path can be hindered through problem affecting only a short length.

Research shows that people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, those living in deprived communities and older people visit the countryside less than the general population.

The proportion of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in the population of Buckinghamshire has been increasing. Barriers to minority ethnic people visiting the countryside can include:

• lack of appropriate information
• lack of awareness
• lack of confidence
• negative perceptions of countryside
• financial costs
• lack of time

To support more people from under-represented groups to use public rights of way and visit the countryside, we will:

• Support partners working with minority ethnic groups to understand barriers to accessing public rights of way and develop projects to increase use (AE3.1).

Areas of deprivation are mainly in urban areas in Buckinghamshire. There are also deprived areas immediately adjacent to Buckinghamshire across the boundary.

Although people living in these areas visit the natural environment less, visits have been increasing. Evidence shows that transport and the associated costs are a barrier. Actions to improve links between town and country will be important for these people.