Surrey Heath Local Committee meets every couple of months:
I intend to visit the next meeting on Thu 3rd July to raise a question about the Hatches. The following is my email correspondence, which I'll update as I get feedback.
Mon 23rd Jun (to: contact.centre@surreycc.gov.uk; cc: chris.pitt@surreycc.gov.uk)
I'd like to raise a question at the upcoming committee meeting:
Should I raise this on the day, or is it best to raise in advance to have it added to the agenda?
Basically, I just want to let the committee know about a petition I've started:
...to raise awareness of the need for improvements to the Hatches Path (officially known as Bridleway BW19).
I'm looking for support from the committee and a discussion on what steps we can take to have the path improved. Initially this could be temporary improvements to fix the worst potholes. Eventually it would be good to have the path upgraded to a "Shared Use route for pedestrians and cyclists".
The contact centre forwarded my email above to the SHLC, and I received the following:
Mon 23rd Jun (from nicola.thorntonbryar@surreycc.gov.uk: to: Jon McClelland, Chris Pitt <chris.pitt@surreycc.gov.uk>, David Ivison <david.ivison@surreycc.gov.uk> ; cc: "Milton, Bob" <bobmilton@kilnsidefarm.fsnet.co.uk>,"Beach, Mrs Diane" <chobhamchasers@hotmail.co.uk>, British Horse Society <enquiry@bhs.org.uk>
Just to confirm with you... We will be receiving a Rights of Way report at the July committee on the Hatches Bridleway 19, to confirm the TRO to close the crossing to horses as follows:-
Members will recall approving the publishing of an Intention to make a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), under section 1 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to prohibit horse use on Public Bridleway No. 19, Camberley and Frimley. No objections were received within the statutory advertising period. Members are asked to consider whether the legal and policy criteria for making the Order still apply. It is recommended that a TRO be made for avoiding danger to persons or other traffic using the road, or for preventing the likelihood of any such danger arising.
There are specific rules and regulations on objections to Rights of Way issues, but I understand that your enquiry is more with regard to the state of the pathway for pedestrians and not about use as a bridleway.
We have a public question time prior to the official meeting (starting at 6pm) where any member of the public can come along and speak about any areas of concern or with regard to any item on the agenda. You are most welcome to come along and raise awareness of your petition for pathway improvements and ask any questions.
You have started an on-line petition on the Hatches bridleway - asking for improvements to be made. The deadline date that you have set for your petition is 16th November 2014. We will therefore table this petition to be discussed at DECEMBER committee meeting. You have received 87 confirmed signatures to date.
...my highlighting above. I was confused by the wording of the email above so replied-all...
Mon 23rd Jun (reply-all to above)
Yes, to confirm, my petition is with regards to the state of the path for use by pedestrians & cyclists. I don't want to complicate this petition with the separate discussions on keeping it open as a bridleway.
I'm slightly confused by your email. Are you saying I shouldn't raise this issue at the JULY meeting next week? Do you want me to wait until the DEC mtg? I would like to get the issue "on your radar" as soon as possible, with further updates in Dec when the petition closes. The petition has reached more that the required 30 signatures for it to be raised at a meeting, so I would like to proceed with raising this at next weeks meeting. Is that OK?
I also received this from Bob Milton...
Mon 23rd Jun (reply-all to above)
This situation is one of principle that the cyclists use the track as a result of the licensed use for cyclists under the 1968 Countryside Act and that use brings no duty to maintain the track for cyclists only pedestrians and equestrians and then only suitable for its use for the rights users ie pedestrians and equestrians.
The Railway Network operator wishes to save money and not put in fully useable safety systems so wishes to remove as of right equestrian use even though the present system has been unusable by equestrians for at least the last 20years so in a way has contributed to the displacement of equestrians from the grazing land between the two rail crossings. The Hampshire CC RoW TRO at Farnborough North was snuck in without BHS input.
If the Traffic Regulation Order banning equestrian access is made there is no other suitable crossing fromSurrey into Hampshire until you get to Tongham seven miles away. It will also mean that there is no duty to maintain the highway, for that is what the bridleway is, suitable for cyclists
I replied all with the following:
Mon 23rd Jun (reply-all to above)
Thanks Bob, I'm not against horses using this path/bridleway, but I'd like to concentrate on getting the path fixed. If horses want to use the nicely resurfaced path it's fine by me, but I'd like to get it fixed for pedestrians & cyclists as a priority - horses probably don't mind the state of the path as its stands.
Nicola, you say the public section of the meeting starts at 1800, before the official meeting at 1830. I'll be in London on a training course so may struggle to get there for 1800, but will do my best.
In the event I can't get there in time, I'd like the committee to kindly consider my question:
"The Hatches path, officially referred to as Bridleway BW19 by the Countryside Access Team, is long overdue maintenance. The path is overgrown on each side and is now a narrow strip of tarmac, much of which is badly potholed. In winter the path is muddy and flooded making it very difficult for pedestrians & cyclists to navigate.
Many people would like to see the path properly tarmacked across the full width of the path (approx 7-9 feet) and treated as a "Shared Use route for Pedestrians & Cyclists". I have started a blog and petition to raise awareness of this, which has 89 signatures to date. I expect more signatures as conditions get worse in the autumn.
I have been in correspondence with Luke Dawson of the Countryside Access Team who has visited the path and confirmed it needs maintenance work carried out. He has requested funds "from a bigger pot" to fund improvement works but was unsuccessful this year. He has investigated interim solutions to fix the worst of the potholes and improve drainage. He also suggested "a scrape of the surface mud to allow the full available width". I noticed this was done recently (by Mon 23rd June) but this has only cleared the existing 4 foot wide path. Potholes still need to be fixed and drainage improved.
So, my question to the committee is whether they can help the Countryside Access Team with funding to upgrade the path properly to a Shared use route for Pedestrians & Cyclists.
My blog has full details of my discussions with the Countryside Access Team and sustrans. I will also update with the committee's feedback. Thank you for your time".
To be continued. Please attend the committee meeting to show your support if possible.
