Public Consultation Leaflet

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HCCs Countryside ServiceRights of Way and
Countryside Access
Andrew SmithAssistant Head of the Countryside
Service
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HCC Countryside Service
providing the highest quality countryside access
and green places for everyone to enjoy now and in
the future.
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Country Parks and Sites

• Queen Elizabeth is Hampshires biggest country
  park, with 1400 acres of open access woodland and
  downland within the South Downs including 20
  miles of trails for walkers, cyclists horse
  riders, Butser Hill NNR and the highest point on
  the South Downs.
• Other sites in East Hants
• Broxhead Shortheath Commons
• Catherington Down
• Ashford Hangers

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Rights of Way
In East Hants 615 km of Footpath 144 km of
Bridleway 1 km of Restricted Byways 104 km of
Byways
The 2006/07 Mori survey of Hampshire residents
shows 75 satisfied with the condition of
'Country Footpaths Bridleways'
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The Rights of Way Network in Hampshire
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Our Rights of Way Role

• Protection and Maintenance
• Promotion, including long-distance routes
• Maintaining the legal record of Rights of Way
  (Definitive Map)
• Involvement in partnership projects

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Landowner Responsibilities

• Maintain existing stiles gates
• Keep paths free from obstructions and overhanging
  vegetation
• Do not plough field edge paths keep cross field
  paths free from crops
• Obtain consent from HCC for new stiles/gates
• Not to keep dangerous animals where a right of
  way passes
• Not to deter or endanger the public

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Hampshire Countryside Access Forum
Advises the County Council and others on the
provision management of access to the countryside

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Improving Access

• 10 promoted long-distance routes
• 1800 guided walks annually
• Rights of Way Maps on-line atwww.hants.gov.uk/ma
  ps/paths
• Countryside Access Plans (ROWIPs)
• Small Grants Scheme

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Working with others

• Parish Councils
• Hants Paths Partnership
• Small Grants Scheme
• Conferences Reference Guide
• District Councils
• Future planning
• South Downs Joint Committee
• HCC Highways teams
• Natural England Government

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Small Grants Scheme

• Funding and advice to improve public access
• Available to Parish Councils and landowners
• Locally-initiated projects
• 50 of project costs, max 2,500
• Run with Hampshire Countryside Access Forum

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Eligible Projects

• Projects meetinglocal demand
• Path surfacing
• Kissing gates
• Benches
• Improved drainage
• Leaflets Mapboards

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New Alresford surfacing
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Bramdean PC new bench
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Alton TC - leaflet
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Motor Vehicles

• Have rights to use some routes
• Complaints about damage to path surface public
  use?
• Illegal use is also a problem
• Vehicle users do help us to maintain the network
• A new policy has been agreed, with the help of
  HCAF and vehicle users

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Byways Open to All Traffic in Hampshire
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The Rights of Way Network in Hampshire
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Countryside Access Reference Guide

• Including
• Rights and Responsibilities
• Definitive Map information
• A-Z of common problems
• Improving access
• Small Grants Scheme

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Contacting HCC about Rights of Way
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Hantsdirect contacting the County Council

• 8am 8pm, Mon - Fri9.30am 4pm, Sat
• Every call logged onto the system
• Every report can be tracked
• More time spent resolving problems
• Provides reliable performance information

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• Contacting Us.
• 0845 603 5636
• rights.of.way_at_hants.gov.uk
• www.hants.gov.uk/rh/row/problem-report