Article from Brecon Beacons National Park
Last Updated: 14 July 2008 10:23
Rights of Way Improvement Plan
The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority adopted the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) at its meeting on 26th June 2007. Three years of survey work, consultation and discussion were carried out in preparation for the ROWIP which culminated in the Brecon Beacons National Park publishing the first ROWIP in Wales.
Background The Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CROW) 2000 placed a duty on local highway authorities to produce a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP). The responsibility of producing a Rights of Way Improvment Plan for the whole of the Brecon Beacons National Park was delegated to the Authority by those highway authorities with land within the National Park.
The Plan involves an assessment of the extent to which rights of way meet present and likely future needs of the public. This includes opportunities for walking, horse riding, cycling and other forms of open air recreation as well as looking at how accessible these activities are for people with mobility or visual impairment.
In order to fulfil this challenge, it was agreed that various tasks needed to be undertaken, including consultation with relevant local authorities, members of the public and colleagues; rights of way surveys, data collection and analysis; research of historical documents and ‘lost ways’ and formation of a total access map within the park.
The production of the ROWIP has provided an opportunity to assess the condition of the network, the resources available and progress towards a future that will offer improvements for all users.