The Parish Footpath Warden Scheme has been running since the mid 1990s.
The main purpose of the scheme is to involve local communities and parish and town councils in the management of their local rights of way network. This will help ensure that routes are not obstructed, are clearly defined, properly maintained and hopefully promoted to local people.
The Role of the Warden is to:
- Report any rights of way related issues or problems via Fix My Street, the Northamptonshire Highways public reporting system. This process ensures issues are recorded and dealt with appropriately. Once reported you will be issued with a unique reference number and be able to follow the progress of your enquiry;
- Help make sure all public rights of way are properly signposted where they leave a public metalled road by letting Highways know about any missing fingerposts;
- Report back to your Parish meeting at least once a year to keep them up-to-date with your findings and reports sent in via Fix My Street.
- Provide information about the condition of the local network and the work being undertaken by the Rights of Way team to maintain and improve local rights of way in your area
THE WARDEN IS NOT EXPECTED TO:
- Enter into definitive correspondence with landowners, farmers or rights of way users.
- Agree to changes to the route of a public right of way. All enquiries about diverting a public right of right of way, adding a right of way to the Definitive Map or removing a public right of way from the Definitive Map should be passed to your local Rights of Way Area Team via Fix My Street.
- Agree to the replacement of rights of way furniture such as gates, stiles and way marking.
- Parish Path Wardens should be aware that they are not authorised to enforce Rights of Way legislation as this could jeopardise or undermine the Rights of Way enforcement procedure.
- Undertake any practical work on the Rights of Way network however minor, including the repair of furniture or cutting back overhanging vegetation. Any repairs and all practical work required must be reported via Fix My Street
The Countryside & Rights of Way Act 2000 places a duty on every Local Highway Authority to prepare and publish a Rights of Way Improvement Plan and the points of action are:
- Creation of a safe, ‘joined-up’ network of footpaths.
- Make the access easier for everyone.
- Improve people’s health, fitness and wellbeing.
- Improve links between communities.
- Maintain route signage.
- Increase publicity and interpretation of footpaths.
- Improve regular maintenance of footpath network.
- Offer travel choices and growth of the network.
In all these areas the Parish Paths Warden is invited to contribute on behalf of our Parish Council.
The Parish Paths Warden may come from any background but will share a common interest in the countryside and in particular in the rights of way network in this parish. The Parish Council appoints the Parish Paths Warden and any Assistant each year at its Annual Meeting.
The appointed Parish Footpaths Warden for King’s Sutton Parish Council is currently Jeremy Renals: footpaths@kingssutton-pc.gov.uk
The Deputy Parish Footpaths Warden is Dave Hall.