Agenda item

The Rights of Way Officer introduced the report and noted the following changes to the report:

·         Change to the title of the report to ‘Action Plans for the Management of Green Lanes in the Peak District National Park’.

·         Paragraph 14 on page 34 of the report the penultimate paragraph replace Appendix 3 with Paragraph 8.

The following spoke under the Public Participation at meetings scheme:

·         Sue Woods on behalf of Peak District Green Lanes Association, Friends of the Peak District, Peak and Northern Footpaths Society and Peak Horsepower.

In response to members queries Officers provided the following updates:

Information on  the two motorbike trial events that had specific exemption from the Washgate TRO would be included in the report in 2020  The number of exemptions provided for cavers at  Derby Lane had reduced from the previous year.

In relation to Wetton Hills Officers stated that a S56 Notice had been served on the relevant highways authority, Staffordshire County Council, to request a repair on the route which Members had resolved to make a TRO.  Members confirmed support for the TRO at Wetton and the Rights of Way Officer confirmed that a meeting was being arranged with Staffordshire County Council to look at moving this forward.

The Rights of Way Officer confirmed that the Authority had supported a proposed TRO by Derbyshire County Council at Jacobs Ladder but no update on the progress of implementation was available.

Members congratulated the team on the report, appendix and the work/progress over the past year.  Members hoped that in future more time could be spent on telling the story of green lanes focusing on the heritage and history around them as well as the focus on conserving them.

In response to Members enquiries Officers confirmed that following a public consultation carried out by Derbyshire County Council in July 2018 a scheme of repair had been drawn up for Hurst Clough Lane but no date had yet been identified for the work to start.

Members noted instances of illegal use as detailed in the report.  The Access and Rights of Way Manager confirmed that monitoring of motor vehicles on all TRO routes had taken place and information had been passed to the police. 

The Rights of Way Officer confirmed that the objective of the voluntary restraint was to reduce impacts from vehicular use of the green lanes and an element of engagement had been created which increased the understanding of user groups. The figures showed that there had been a reduction in four wheel drive vehicles on the Minninglow Lane route following the introduction of the voluntary restraint. Improvements to the condition of the route have been delayed by a Section 56 notice for repair served on Derbyshire County Council.  A review of the management actions would be carried out once the repairs had been completed.

The Officer recommendation as set out in the report was moved.

Members requested that consideration be given to positive promotion of green lanes and how this would be carried out in future years and the use of the green lanes as a communication tool for the cultural heritage of the Peak District National Park.

The Director of Commercial Development & Engagement acknowledged the comments.

The Officer recommendation as set out in the report was seconded, put to the vote and carried.

RESOVLED:

To note the progress and to approve the action plans at Appendices 4, 6 and 7 of the report, and that a follow-up report be brought to the Committee in March 2020.