Surrey Heath Local Committee mtg: Thu 11th Dec

The following was my update to the committee at the 11th Dec Surrey Heath Local Committee meeting: 

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The petition to improve the Hatches Path between Frimley Green and Farnborough Main completed on 16th Nov with over 300 votes, including official support from the Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust.

In early November, the Countryside Access Team carried out temporary improvements to the path, widening it and adding drainage. This is a welcome improvement to take us through the winter. These are only temporary however as the mud and grass will work its way back onto the path, which is still heavily eroded.

At the July meeting, the committee voted in favour of a Traffic Regulation Order, under section 1 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to prohibit horse use on Public Bridleway No. 19, Camberley and Frimley. The path should therefore be considered a shared footpath for pedestrians and cyclists. The path gets more traffic by pedestrians and cyclists than many footpaths in Camberley, and needs to be resurfaced to cope with the demand. The supporters of the petition would therefore request the committee support more permanent improvements to the path.

I have asked for the Hatches Path to be included in the Surrey Transport Plan and Cycling Strategy. The Surrey Heath Borough (Draft) Forward Programme includes a request for improvements to cycling routes between railway stations and town centres (Annex ref 3, estimated at £3.91m). Perhaps the Hatches Path could be included in these improvements?

The LTS Tranche 2 consultation is now closed, and revised version of the local transport strategies have been published (Sept 2014). Let's hope the Blackwater Valley Path improvements will get approved, including the Hatches Path...