THE Footpath WARDENS ROLE

Parish Footpath Wardens ( PFW ) are volunteers appointed by the Parish Council

As part of the role a PFW will usually:

• make themselves aware of the rules and regulations of Public Rights of Way (PRoW)

• arrange or carry out at least one survey per year of all the PRoW’s within the Parish to check whether pathways are kept clear, route signs clearly visible and stiles, gates, and bridges in good order.

• report to the Parish and Borough Council on PRoW issues in the Parish

• encourage Parishioners to adopt paths with a view to keeping them ‘walkable’

• become a point of contact for local enquiries and reports on Rights of Way

NOTES FOR PARISH PATH WARDENS

There are 4 classifications of Public right of way which are Footpath, Bridleway, Restricted Byway and Byway open to all Traffic. The Footpaths are shown on the map as a purple line, Bridleways are shown with a green solid line and Restricted Byways a green dashed line. We have no Byways Open to All Traffic in Warrington. Each path will have a number shown on the map, please use this number when recording the survey.

When completing the forms we are looking for any information on issues that make the path difficult to use or follow. These should then be recorded in the relevant sections on the form:

First of all, is the signage present at the end of the path, easy to see and pointing the correct direction? There should be a signpost at the end of each path where it meets the road.

Is the waymarking (arrows on discs and posts along the route) easy to follow along the path? Are there waymarkers in all the places required to ensure that the path can be followed easily? NB. We usually require a waymarker where a path changes direction if the path is unclear on the ground.

When using the path was all the furniture easy and safe to use i.e. gates, stiles bridges and steps etc.? If any work is required to repair them please record it on the survey form. If a gate or stile is no longer necessary (livestock no longer kept) and the structures are safely being bypassed please comment also.

Were there any obstructions across the line of the path and any encroachment into the width of the path for e.g recent garden extensions, overhanging vegetation? Please give a description of any obstruction and its location. Also comment if anything on adjacent land may be causing an issue on the path such as the presence of barbed wire (only if it’s a danger), electric fences without warning signs and deposits of material falling onto the path.

Were the surface conditions acceptable or did they cause difficulty when using the route? Use your judgement as to what would be acceptable in a particular location. Path standards in the countryside will differ from those within residential areas. In addition on hard surfaced routes please make a note if you see any trip hazards over a 20mm height.

Please be aware that some paths are not always entirely available on their Legal Line, this may be due to historical obstructions from developments etc. If such a path with an alignment anomaly is surveyed please make comment about the Legal Line of the path being obstructed and survey the available route that the public are using.

If there are no problems just say so.

Once the form is completed please return it in one of the envelopes supplied as soon as possible. You can put several paths on one form if that is expedient. Alternatively you can email the information to the Public Rights of Way Officer.

There is no set frequency for returns. That’s entirely up to you. If you do walk/ride the path again there is no need to re-send a form unless there has been a change to the path.

Safety

Parish Path Wardens are appointed by Parish Councils and should be covered in that role by their insurance policy. The intention is that you report back information after walking/cycling or horse riding in the parish and as such you should go properly equipt for the activity you are undertaking.

You should not carry out any maintenance of the paths (although a pair of secateurs to clear a way for yourself is OK) nor should you take up the issues discovered in the use of the paths with occupiers. If you are challenged in your use of paths you should withdraw and report the matter directly either on the form or preferably by email to the Public Rights of Way Officer at Warrington BC (jthorp@warrington.gov.uk) which is the responsible Highway Authority for public rights of way in the Warrington parishes.