Public Footpaths Value - Coursework Example

Introduction Walking along a serene pathway with the green canopy of trees looking down and the silver beams of sunlight shining through it, is an experience that can refresh both the mind and body. About 8000 years ago, towards the end of ice age, humans are supposed to have invented defined routes (Post-1949 Legislation, n.d.). With the advent of different types of carriages and later, motor vehicles, public footpaths became obsolete. In UK, several laws related to the right to access to public footpaths have been passed since 1949 (Post-1949 Legislation, n.d). A public footpath is defined as “an unmade highway over which the public has a right of way on foot only” (Southend on Sea Borough Council, 2010). These footpaths could be hundreds of years old and are currently shown as greens dashed lines in Ordnance Survey maps. Swindon Borough Council has defined a public footpath as a pathway where the “right of way is on foot only and way-marked with yellow arrows” (Swindon Borough Council. n.d). It was the Countryside Rights of Way Act of 2000 that gave Britons the statutory rights to access lands which have been earlier public pathways (Geoconnexionuk, April/May 2006, p.1). The countryside agency was entrusted with the task of “publishing maps that defined all registered common land and all open country” as part of this legislation (Geoconnexionuk, April/May 2006, p.40). Out of the 2300 Km of the total length of the footpath in Carmarthenshire County, only 1000 Km has been surveyed. The remaining 1300 km are in unknown condition and their status is based on Definitive mapping from the 1960’s. The aim of this survey was to find out if the footpath still exists or not and to observe the situation and condition of the footpath, if it exists. The observation covered the type of surface (grassy, concrete, rocky), the length (km, field), the furniture (style, type of gate) of these footpaths and issues about access and repair. The area of study was the footpaths in (Llandyfaelog) village in Swansea. The Rights of Way Condition Survey made by the Countryside Council for Wales had showed that 50% of the public footpaths in Wales were unsatisfactory for use and “about one third was unusable” (Walking Wales, 2003, p.54). A similar situation exists in many places in England and hence this survey in Swansea village can give a fresh impetus to understanding and resolving the issue of Right ot Way. Methodology In order to cover the entire area of the survey, the students were split into groups of three persons each. Each one of the three member team had a responsibility to carry out as part of the survey. The task of the first member of the team was to guide the group to where the footpath exists by using an Ordnance Survey definitive mapping provided by the supervisors which shows these footpaths as green dashed lines. The responsibility of the second member of the team was to walk through the footpaths and note down observations about the status and condition of the footpath. The other two members of the team also shared their ideas and observations with this member. The responsibility of the third member of the team was to use a GPS device to monitor the routes that they walk through. The GPS device was provided by the supervisor and it was a device that uses 18 satellites to identify the location by using Global Positioning System. Involving local citizens of the village was a very useful strategy while going about the survey. These people provided information on the history of the footpaths and guided the team to the right locations where the footpath exists. Using ArcGIS was the final task to do, which involved importing the GPS track-logs to produce a final map based on OS base maps showing the routes through which the team traversed. Findings 1) The team started at 51 46’ 55.69” N and 4 18’ 08.17” W and by walking through the road down to the bar, a signboard of the footpath was found pointing towards the church. The beginning of the footpath was a normal gate. The surface of the footpath was made of tarmac. There was also a small sized bridge made also from tarmac extending form the surface of the footpath. There were many lights and trees on both side of the footpath and a wooden protective railing along the bridge. The short length of the footpath next to the church was converted into a graveyard and the another part of the footpath was blocked by a church. The team found an alternative footpath which had the same properties of the original one. The start and the end of the alternative footpath was on the same road. There was a kissing gate at the end, which led to the same road where the footpath began, In general the footpath was well maintained and in good condition, the length of the footpath was estimated to be 50 – 150 meters. The footpath was connected to the main road wherever it was blocked or converted for religious purposes. 2) As there was no marked sign to show where the footpath was, a local citizen guided the team to the nearest footpath. At the start of the footpath there was a kissing gate. The surface of the footpath was covered with grass. A tennis play ground was situated next to footpath and hence the team concluded that the footpath had become a private owned area. By walking further and passing a step ladder to test the rest of the footpath as the map shows, the team saw that the end of the footpath was a kissing gate which wasn’t maintained properly and was also obstructed by trees and bushes. Signs of a footpath were found near the kissing gate which led the team to a farm next to the footpath. A narrow, dirty and naturally formed stream was flowing side by side with the footpath and a car trace was also seen. Over the end of the stream, there was a small wooden bridge. The footpath leads to Nantallan road where a step ladder and its wooden stairs went ahead form the end of the footpath. In general the length of the footpath was estimated as along the two fields which were covered with grass. There were no clear signs of a footpath and the breakers of the footpath were not maintained. 3) There was a footpath, but there was not any sign for a footpath at (51 46’ 40.74” N and 4 17’ 29.84” W). The survey team could not access this footpath as the gate was not properly maintained and it was also blocked by bushy plants. At (51 46’ 40.30” N and 4 17’ 27.77” W) also there was not any sign of the footpath, but there were stone-paved steps. The surface of the footpath was covered with grass and trees. A river was flowing beside the footpath and the it was surrounded by bulb wires in order to protect the passers by from falling into the river. There was a wooden cross fixed in the middle of the footpath. This cross was also not properly maintained and it was half-blocked by trees and bulb wires. The footpath was also ruined by the floods that brimmed up from a nearby swamp. The end of the footpath was a farm gate and a sign of a private owning hanged on the gate. In general, the team concluded that the footpath and the blockers were not maintained properly because it is a private owned area. The team estimated the length of the footpath as 250 - 400 meters. 4) By walking along the road A484 to find the footpath at (51 46’ 46.58” N and 4 18’ 02.56” W), the team could not access the footpath because the footpath was blocked by bushes and trees. By looking over the trees it was obvious to see that the footpath was converted into a private farm. According to a local citizen, the footpath was closed and turned into privately owned land. The next foot footpath at (51 46’ 21.44” N and 4 17’ 52.86” W) was not in existence at all. The search for it led the group to Glanmorlais. There was no sign of a footpath and the team saw that the end point of the footpath was also blocked. A local citizen told the team that this footpath had disappeared years back and it has not been in use for years. To find out the last two footpaths at (51 45’ 56.24” N and 4 18’ 04.39” W) and (51 45’ 55.87” N and 4 17’ 04.43” W), the team walked from Glanmorlais Fach to Cwm-ffynnonau. Both the footpaths were blocked and they could not be accessed because of the thick bushes and trees that grown out there. In general, the two footpaths were closed because they were not in use and were turned into private farms. Conclusion Public footpaths have important value from economic, tourism and transport point of view. The estimates made by Wales Tourist Board have shown that “the annual economic value of the path network” is $ 548 million (Jenner, 2003, p.54). This revelation also points to the possibility of meeting the maintenance cost of the public footpaths from this revenue alone, if it is properly tapped. Almost eighty percent of the footpath in the area of study (Landyfaelog village) was not maintained and was obstructed by trees, bulb wires and bushy plants. These footpaths were not been in used for years and they gradually turned into private farms. As the result of constant disuse, there were no longer any clear signs of footpaths in many places and natural phenomena like water flow and floods had destroyed many footpaths. Majority of footpaths covered under this study were found to be covered with grass. Kissing gates and step ladders were the main structures acting as blocks between footpaths and also along them. The public should also be encouraged to use the footpaths considering the health angle related to walking, the tourism angle related to the beauty of these wild paths and also the transportation angle related to the shortest access path ways. The public footpaths could redeem their lost glory as well as utility only through such a combined and comprehensive approach. As Jenner (2003, p.57) has suggested: The long term solution to rights of way improvement is to encourage land owners to fulfill their legal obligations by offering rewards for compliance and easily applied penalties for failure to comply. Jenner (2003, p.57) has also cited the example of National Park Authorities, which have been paying farmers for rights of way work since years, as a model. Anyhow it is clear that more material and human resources are needed to ensure rights of way in their totality. It has to be remembered that this issue is very sensitive and that “a comprehensive public consultation exercise” was conducted by the Countryside Agency to avert public concern over this issue ((Geoconnexionuk, April/May 2006, p.41). This process has to go on so that private land owners are convinced to co-operate with the rights of way implementation. References Geoconnexion, April/May 2006, New maps for new rights, www.geoconnexion.com. Jenner, Lorna, 2003, Rights of Way in Wales: how can we bring them up to scratch?, Walking Wales Magazine, Issue 4. Post-1949 Legislation, (n.d). Southend on Sea Borough Council, 19 April 2010, Public rights of way, Southend on Sea Borough: Southend on Sea Borough Council. Available from: http://www.southend.gov.uk/content.asp?section=475 [Accessed 01 May 2010]. Swindon Borough Council, (n.d) Transport & streets: Definition of ‘right of way’, Swindon Borough: Swindon Borough Council. Available from: http://www.swindon.gov.uk/roadstransport/roadsandtransport-rightsofway/roadsandtransport-rightsofway-definition.htm [Accessed 01 May 2010]. Read More