Agenda item

-       Access for All

-       Consultation on an extension to the direction at Silence Mine

ACCESS FOR ALL

Sue Smith, PDNPA’s Access and Rights of Way Officer presented her report which was to provide and update on issues related to access in the Peak District.

Sue reported that following her presentation to the LAF in December, funding had been received from DEFRA, to cover infrastructure improvements to make protected landscapes more accessible for people of all ages and abilities. Further funding was anticipated for 2024/25.

All-terrain wheelchairs (trampers) have now been delivered and would be available to hire by members of the public from the Authority’s Cycle Hire and Visitor Centres free of charge through an online booking system. There will also be an in-house tramper video for the public to watch, which will hopefully give them more confidence on how to use them.

Sue reported that surfacing works had taken place on 4 routes, 3 of which were in the proximity of Sheffield, with thanks to the Countryside Maintenance & Projects Team.  More updates will follow.

Sue was thanked for her report.

CONSULTATION ON DIRECTION ON ACCESS LAND

Sue reminded the LAF Members that back in 2018 the Authority had made a direction on public safety grounds to restrict access to land at Silence and Old Grove Mines due to instability, whilst further investigations and works were carried out.  The direction only refers to access land and not to the public rights of way, although they could be impacted as well.

Since then, the direction has been extended following evidence of further instability and now the Authority is proposing to extend the direction for a further 2 years until 30^th April 2025, or until the completion of remediation in connection with geotechnical investigations have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Authority, although reservations were expressed on the likelihood that the access land would be opened up after this period if there was more instability identified.

LAF Members asked what could have caused the instability in the first place to which Sue responded that there was no conclusion as yet.

The LAF agreed to formally respond to the public consultation as a statutory consultee supportive of the proposal to restrict public access for a further 2 years.