Seems like this covers areas many of us visit. There was a topic on the potential closure of the Barmouth bridge recently, but it seems the potential for cuts relating to trails could be far wider reaching.
There are several proposals that need a look, specifically:
Env 1 – This would cut all maintenance of all the Council’s recreational routes, mostly on old railway lines.
Env 13 – This is the budget for the maintenance of rights of way. But as well as the seasonal mowing and cutting back of overgrown trails, it also has the mechanism for complaints about blocked (naturally, or deliberately) rights of way. So, if the full 40% cut goes through and the farmers and landowners lock the gates to trails and let sunken lanes grow over, there’d be no one to complain to, or to enforce the re-opening of the right of way. Only Snowdon and NRW (formerly the Forestry Commission in Wales) would likely be maintained due to the number of visitors. Although, apparently 49% of visitors to the area come to walk on the beaches. There’s no mention of mountain biking.
Maybe it's time for me to start carrying a chainsaw and a strimmer.
Richard G wrote:Seems like this covers areas many of us visit. There was a topic on the potential closure of the Barmouth bridge recently, but it seems the potential for cuts relating to trails could be far wider reaching.
There are several proposals that need a look, specifically:
Env 1 – This would cut all maintenance of all the Council’s recreational routes, mostly on old railway lines.
Env 13 – This is the budget for the maintenance of rights of way. But as well as the seasonal mowing and cutting back of overgrown trails, it also has the mechanism for complaints about blocked (naturally, or deliberately) rights of way. So, if the full 40% cut goes through and the farmers and landowners lock the gates to trails and let sunken lanes grow over, there’d be no one to complain to, or to enforce the re-opening of the right of way. Only Snowdon and NRW (formerly the Forestry Commission in Wales) would likely be maintained due to the number of visitors. Although, apparently 49% of visitors to the area come to walk on the beaches. There’s no mention of mountain biking.
Maybe it's time for me to start carrying a chainsaw and a strimmer.
It won't make a blind bit of difference round here. Powys is massive, it has the largest RoW network of all the English / Welsh counties* and the smallest population ... therefor it's skint. I've never known the council do anything to bridleways, footpaths or any other RoW. In fact any clearing, reinstating, etc is carried out by volunteer groups.
*I believe Powys has a single RoW officer for an area that runs from Welshpool to Brecon.
