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The State Of Footpaths


kpnut

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I hope this is not too politcal but if the money local authorities are allowed to spend keeps being restricted, we only have ourselves to blame. It is very sad that the infrastructure of the country is falling into decline.

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I seem to recall Cameron calling it the big society,  your on the spot with the ability so instead of complaining about something just sort it, the trouble is you can get sued if you do badly wrong but I still can't help doing stuff, just try to not leave traceable evidence....

 

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I'm going to spend some time today with my map and the council website page to earmark a few of the worst paths and go from there on the form filling exercise. If I swamp it with too many, it'll backfire. And a letter too. Will let you all know the outcome, but i won't expect miracles!

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I've submitted 3 forms. Womack to Potter, Repps Staithe Rd to Thurne Dyke, and Fleet Dyke to Thurne mouth. Unfortunately when I registered on the website, so I could receive updates, it then wouldn't allow me to submit them. So I've had to do them without being signed in, so no updates will be sent to me.

I'll back it up by letter and send more when I spot them, with photos.

Their website implies obligation on their part for paths designated as either Public Right of Way cutting, or as National Trail cutting and the routes are clearly marked on the interactive map. So they are publishing that they are responsible for their maintenance, just haven't done it for whatever reason, which I'll hopefully find out in a reply to my letter.

I must say that when I have used the East Riding website to report fly tipping, it has been dealt with very promptly. I don't hold out so much hope here, but maybe by flagging it up (hopefully lots of locals have done too) next year the council will be more proactive.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yesterday evening I walked along the Bure from the pumping station with the automatic grabber on Upton marshes (end of the concrete track that goes across the marsh) along to Thurne mouth and on to Upton Mill drainage mill, turning back across the marsh and along the concrete track. The riverside path was excellent and the walk highly recommended. 
 

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This morning I headed the other way, upstream up the Bure, past the pumping station by the two dead trees, along to Fleet Dyke mouth, down Fleet Dyke and back round across the marsh. All started well with the path between the two pumping stations as good as last night. Someone obviously looks after it well. 
But when I went past the dead trees pumping station and along to Fleet Dyke it was another story. I got soaked to my waist by the overgrown vegetation, mostly reeds but some patches of thistles. This is one of the paths I reported on the council website online form.

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I really hope that next year NCC keeps on top of it before it gets this bad. I don’t believe that public footpaths need to be pristine, but they do need to be more passable than this!

It does say on the NCC website that it’s one of the paths on their ‘cutting schedule’.
Even the path alongside Fleet Dyke isn’t brilliant until you get to the moorings on the bend. 
 


 

 

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Hi kpnut, sorry if I have missed any details you have posted, however I have been out walking from Sutton Staithe and within 5 minutes came across the footpath which would have led to the church, however....

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If you can add this to your list or remind me where I can report this too.

Thank You :default_beerchug:

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I will, but I don’t know that area.
The best thing will be for you to go on the Norfolk county council website, look for the section about environment etc and there’ll be a link somewhere to reporting public footpath issues. There’s a form you fill in with location, nature of the issue etc. but first, it’d be best to check in their interactive map which shows which ones they are responsible for, as it might be a Sutton parish council responsibility.

Hope that is enough detail to get you to the right place on their website. When I get home from the boat and am on my home PC I’ll have a look too if I can see which path you have highlighted.
And I’ll check the website too for the correct ‘navigation route’ through it and post it on here for anyone to use if they wish. 
 

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Hi @kpnut

Do let me know or get in touch via Broads.Control@broads-authority.gov.uk if you spot any of our footpaths overgrown, however as you've stated above the majority in the Broads area are looked after by the council highways dept.

This is a good/effective site in raising issues such as overgrown paths, you fill out a form with details of the issue and it gets sent on to the relevant council. Worth a look: https://www.fixmystreet.com/

Best

Tom

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9 hours ago, BroadsAuthority said:

Do let me know or get in touch via Broads.Control@broads-authority.gov.uk if you spot any of our footpaths overgrown

Thanks very much Tom. It’s very good to know there is a procedure in place. 
Can you tell me how the easiest way of finding out if it’s a ‘ BA responsible’ path? Or do I look on the council path map and if not marked as one of theirs, assume it’s one of yours? 

 

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39 minutes ago, kpnut said:

Can you tell me how the easiest way of finding out if it’s a ‘ BA responsible’ path? Or do I look on the council path map and if not marked as one of theirs, assume it’s one of yours? 

I’d like to know the answer to one that too.

I’d also like to thank Tom for posting on this thread. Very helpful.

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On 16/08/2022 at 09:32, BroadsAuthority said:

Do let me know or get in touch via Broads.Control@broads-authority.gov.uk if you spot any of our footpaths overgrown,

Hi Tom, the following was put on another thread by someone this afternoon. It was referring to the Horning bank of Ludham Bridge moorings. Is this one that the BA does? 
I also walked it a while ago and found it hard going fairly near the bridge. I’d walked down from near Neaves Mill. 
 

Quote-Battled through nettles / brambles & weeds on path going up to the bridge. Went back with secateurs, half an hour, numerous nettle stings on calf’s, path cleared”

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi all,

Very sorry for the delay, got caught up elsewhere and needed to retrieve the information from another team.

The attached PDF shows a relatively up-to-date list of the footpaths that we manage, which team is responsible, plus the frequency of cutting.

If an overgrown path isn't on this list it's very unlikely that it's our responsibility and will likely be the council. If you do have an issue with a path on the list then please give Broads Control a nudge on Broads.Control@broads-authority.gov.uk.

Best

Tom

Footpaths.pdf

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10 hours ago, BroadsAuthority said:

he attached PDF shows a relatively up-to-date list of the footpaths that we manage, which team is responsible, plus the frequency of cutting.

Thanks Tom, that is extremely helpful. I'll keep a copy of it on my boat for reference.

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I said I'd put up a link to the Norfolk County Council 'report a problem' page.

It's 

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roads/report-a-problem#prowicons

scroll down to find the the public right of way and trail problems, choose the most suitable problem and complete the form with as much detail as possible, photos can be attached.

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I would have to politely disagree with you there as a local resident. There’s many things we see that need significant investment for the people who live here. I’m afraid countryside footpaths are a very long way down my list of priorities with money tight for us all. 

We will all come from different perspectives on issues like this. 🤗

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Everywhere has local residents all with their own view of how money should be spent locally. However that doesn't take away the fact that there is a statutory responsibility for public foot paths to be maintained, and as was seen during the pandemic there are great health benefits to going for a healthy walk, that in the long run probably provides huge cost savings to our over worked NHS. 

Yes I know there are many pavements people could walk, but it is much nicer to walk in the countryside and people are more likely to take up, or keep up, the healthy outdoor activity of walking if they enjoy it and the surroundings they do it in.

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5 minutes ago, Meantime said:

Yes I know there are many pavements people could walk, but it is much nicer to walk in the countryside and people are more likely to take up, or keep up, the healthy outdoor activity of walking if they enjoy it and the surroundings they do it in.

Hmmm … the problem is that a number of the pavements in towns and villages are not being kept clear. Those should surely be dealt with first. And although the countryside often has a certain appeal you need to drive to get there. 

Councils probably have limited funds and there are many services they need to provide. None of us will want to see our taxes going up at the moment. So it won’t be surprising if it takes longer for some things to get done. 

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What a strange argument to put forward, public footpaths should be neglected in order for local residents to minimise their council tax bill.

That is akin to allowing the Broads navigation to be diminished so the relevent agencies can have their way and let nature take over the rivers we wish to use

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7 minutes ago, BroadsExplorer said:

That is akin to allowing the Broads navigation to be diminished so the relevent agencies can have their way and let nature take over the rivers we wish to use

When you put it that way, it is a very good point!

I understand Jean's view that a local council should provide the basic services, before other "projects" but this is the same as my constant argument about the maintenance of the right to public staithes and navigations.

Once you let them "fall into dis-use" you may have lost them forever.

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