CPRE NORFOLK PARISH FOOTPATH WARDEN NETWORK

What is a parish footpath warden?

Parish footpath wardens (PFWs) are volunteers who keep an eye on all public rights of
way in their parish. As part of the role a PFW will usually:

make themselves aware of the rules and regulations of Public Rights of Way (PRoW)
arrange or carry out at least one survey per year of all the PRoWs within the Parish
to check whether pathways are kept clear, route signs clearly visible and stiles,
gates, and bridges in good order.
report to the Parish Council on PRoW issues in the Parish
encourage Parishioners to adopt paths with a view to keeping them walkable
become a point of contact for local enquiries and reports on Rights of Way
liaise with landowners and Norfolk County Council on ocassional remedial works

In some counties PFWs are co-ordinated by local councils but this is not the case in
Norfolk. CPRE Norfolk, in partnership with local branches of the Ramblers Association
and the Open Spaces Society, offers to act as the central information point for existing
PFWs, and will promote the role in other parishes where at present there is no warden.
The new network will provide the opportunity for PFWs to share information and
experience, and provide support on local public rights of way matters.

Why do we need footpath wardens?

Those parishes who already have footpath wardens will know how important the role has
been over the years in monitoring the state of local paths. In the wake of the county
councils severe budget cuts in 2011, the PFW role has become even more vital.

Norfolks footpath network has been split into two, with funding focused on Norfolks
400 miles of long-distance trails. For the remaining circa 2,000 miles of ordinary paths
there are reduced standards of response to enquiries and complaints, and no pro-active
maintenance. The procedure for enforcement has been simplified, but the time-frame
for response to complaints has been increased. As a result paths will become less
accessible, particularly for older people, wheelchair users and people with walking aids
or pushchairs.

With their local knowledge Parish Footpath Wardens will be able to ensure that the
correct authorities are aware of problems as soon as they arise, therefore minimising
the impact of longer response times to complaints and providing the county council with
an accurate picture of the state of the footpath network.

Contact
If you are interested in becoming a Parish Footpath Warden, please download and
complete an Expression of Interest form from our website
http://www.cprenorfolk.org.uk/campaigns/protect-our-paths or email us for more
information at info@cprenorfolk.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!
Cardinal House 86 St Benedicts Street Norwich NR2 4AB Registered Charity number 210706
The Definitive Map
All Parish Footpath Wardens should familiarise themselves with the Definitive Map.
This is the legal record of registered public rights of way. All parish councils should have
a copy of the definitive map for their parish - contact your parish clerk for more
information. Copies of the definitive map are also available to view in larger public
libraries, District Council offices and at the County Council, by appointment with the
Definitive Map team on 0344 800 8020.

Insurance

CPRE Norfolk cannot provide insurance for your activities as a Parish Footpath Warden.
Instead we ask that you seek official appointment as a Warden by your Parish Council
and ensure that your activities are covered by their insurance policy.

Maintenance of footpaths

The main aim of CPRE Norfolks campaign to establish a Parish Footpath Warden network
is to ensure monitoring and consistent reporting of access issues across the county.
However, although the simple act of walking footpaths regularly will help to keep them
passable, we understand that many PFWs will want to be more proactive in maintaining
their local rights of way.

Here are the three simple ways of being more pro-active:

Directional signs: Where directional signs are broken or lost, PFWs can replace
direction discs. Contact the relevant Highway Engineer for your parish (Tel 0344 800
8020) for more details on how to obtain supplies of discs.
Surface cutting: Parish councils have delegated powers to carry out surface
maintenance (cutting) on public rights of way (as recorded on the Definitive Map).
Some Parish Councils already do this work on all or some of their local paths, while
others feel that the additional responsibilities and costs to the parish precept are too
great. If you are interested in carrying out surface maintenance you should raise it as
an agenda item at your Parish Council meeting. It might be possible to share costs
(e.g. for hiring a contractor) with neighbouring parishes. It should be noted that side
growth (e.g. unpruned hedges) are the responsibility of the landowner, and
agreement must be sought before carrying out maintenance (see below).
Approaching landowners: Overgrown hedges and non-reinstated footpaths (e.g.
after ploughing) are the responsibility of the landowner. If you feel able to approach
the landowner direct to ask him/her to rectify the issue, this may solve the problem
more quickly than reporting to the County Council. If you do not want to approach
the landowner directly, you could ask the Parish Council to do it. If the problems
remain unresolved, contact the County Council outlining the problem and the steps
that you have undertaken locally.

For updated information on the Protect Our Paths Campaign go to

http://www.cprenorfolk.org.uk/campaigns/protect-our-paths

For more information on PRoW frequently asked questions please go to

http://www.countrysideaccess.norfolk.gov.uk/faqs.aspx

Cardinal House 86 St Benedicts Street Norwich NR2 4AB Registered Charity number 210706