Issue - meetings

To adopt the Rights of Way Improvement Plan.

To delegate powers to the Head of Environment Department to make non-material modifications to the document prior to its publication.  

The report was submitted by Cllr Dafydd Meurig 

DECISION 

To adopt the Rights of Way Improvement Plan. 

To delegate powers to the Head of Environment Department to make non-material adaptations to the document prior to its publication. 

DISCUSSION 

The report was submitted, and the decision noted. It was explained that the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 highlighted a duty on the Council to publish and review the Rights of Way Improvement Plan. It was added that this plan was also used as a tool to improve the network. It was expressed that the Plan had been on quite a journey before reaching the Cabinet which included the Scrutiny Committee back in 2021, a three month public consultation over the summer period, before reporting back to the Scrutiny Committee in October to discuss the results of the public consultation. It was stated that minor adaptations had been made to the Plan following the Scrutiny Committee.  

It was noted that this was a requirement to adopt the Plan and to give the Head of Department the right to make minor linguistic changes prior to the publication of the document.  

Observations arising from the discussion 

·                  Gratitude was expressed for the report and a concern was raised about the change which would permit horse-riding on all public paths. It was questioned how risk assessments would be carried out specifically on roadside paths. It was noted that the adaptation had been done as a result of inconsistency across the country and that there had been a reasonable request for them to be used by horses, it was explained that risk assessments were being undertaken and that the specific assessment was for paths off the main road.  

·                  Enquiries were made about the process of identifying the county's Well-being Paths since Bala had been omitted. It was explained that specific conditions could be seen, which were being checked by the Welsh Government in terms of Well-being Paths and favoured the centres where the population worked in the area and there was a need for an alternative way to reach work. It was expressed as a result that there was a potential need to review this in order to include the more rural communities.