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Have your say on your local Rights of Way

Now we are well into the New Year, many of us will have made a resolution to get fitter by walking, cycling or even riding more in the great Nottinghamshire outdoors. Councillor John Cottee explains how people can have their say on maintaining and improving our rights of way network.

Now we are well into the New Year, many of us will have made a resolution to get fitter by walking, cycling or even riding more in the great Nottinghamshire outdoors. 

In our county there are always plenty of opportunities to do this thanks to our fantastic network of 4,000 public footpaths, bridleways and byways. In fact our aim is for even more local residents and visitors to make the most of our wonderful countryside and benefit from a more active lifestyle. 

After all, a visit to the countryside, particularly to walk, is still the most popular leisure pursuit in this county, and even better, it doesn’t cost a thing! 

With changes to farming practices, increased residential and business development and an increasing population leading to more pressure on council budgets, we are always looking for the most cost-effective ways to maintain and improve our current network of public rights of way. We work closely with partners, such as the Nottinghamshire branch of the National Farmer’s Union ( NFU), to achieve this. 

We also regularly review our public rights of way plans to make sure we are still on the right track when it comes to things like waymarking and signage. 

As part of our latest review, we have now launched a new, 12-week public consultation  where residents will be able to visit our website to look at our latest ten year plans and give their feedback. We also look forward to hearing from other interested parties such as the Ramblers Association, My Sight Nottinghamshire (formerly Royal Society for the Blind) and other environmental and voluntary groups. 

The main aim of this is to ensure the County’s rights of way continue to meet current and future needs, help promote exercise and are accessible for those who are visually-impaired or have mobility issues. These plans will run until 2026, when they will next be due for another review, so we want to make sure these latest plans are getting the best out of the County’s public rights of way network. 

To have your say, go to http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/rightsofwayplan

Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of the County Council's Communities and Place Committee