22.1    The Chairman welcomed Sophie Dwerryhouse, National Access Adviser, CLA and Lauren Eaton, Greenlane Association (GLASS) communications officer, who were attending the meeting as observers

22.2    Apologies for absence were received from Sarah Faulkner, Cecilia Motley, Stewart Pickering and Mark Weston

Members are reminded that they must not participate in the discussion or voting on any matter in which they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and should leave the room prior to the commencement of the debate

23.1    There were no declarations made

To receive any questions or petitions of which notice has been received from members of the public. Deadline for Questions is 2.00pm on 4 February 2020

24.1    3 Public questions had been received

24.2    Question 1 from Stuart Morgan

Question to Shropshire County Councils Shropshire's Great Outdoor's Strategy Board

Has the Great Outdoors Shropshire's Great Outdoor's Strategy Board considered the case for safe public access across the North West relief road and if so was the proximity of a right of way to a service bridge for the private use of the Berwick Estate considered? Especially as this anomalous right of way so obviously points to a lostway.

The advantages to the Borough, economic and social, could be huge. Less obvious are the advantages to the Estate itself. This possibly, because of the historical and current opposition to access privately expressed by the landowner lobby groups through various publications.

The trails that this access point could lead into the County town relate well to geography, history and geology of this county and relate well to the ambitions of many beyond that of its boundaries. I would have hoped that any person with an interest in the Great Outdoors would have spotted at least some of the features, of how the access network of Shropshire can grow towards the needs of the 21st century.

I wrote a letter to our MP about this, I received a brush off that indicated that Daniel Kawczynski had referred to the County Council. This suggested scant consideration to the possibility that the public should share in the countryside beyond its town boundaries, when there is such an obvious anomaly on the Ordnance Survey maps. Surely this must have been looked at during the planning stage of this road. It is alarming if a past mistake by Local Government is not tabled for correction, as the needs for open green space grows.

Is the Great Outdoors Liaison Group doing its job in the best interests of all the people of Shropshire or safe guarding the interests of a privileged minority, as a former officer of the council probably did? Something I warned of, repeatedly, when I was a member, at the time it was merely called a Local Access Forum, a title bequeathed by the Act of Parliament that bought it into being.

However, there is perhaps another more relevant question the GOSB should consider and that is why the owners of the Berwick Estate have not petitioned to have the right of way over this service bridge and asked for other lostways to be scrutinized adjoining their boundary. As there are several natural long-distance routes that could enter the Borough from this direction. Routes that could become nationally popular, with the rising trend for long distance walking. With an annual earning per mile of £8000 in 1990, the Pennine Way established a positive factor for public access as a contributor to rural economies. Such facts that were noticeably missing from the CLA's 2012 policy on Access.

Answer

The SGOSB can confirm that Officers who are responsible for protecting and asserting the public rights of way network have and continue to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2019 are attached for confirmation

25.1    The minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2019 had been circulated

25.2    Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Shropshire Great Outdoors Strategy Board held on 17 October 2019 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman

A workshop on the development of the Cultural Strategy will be facilitated by the Interim Head of Culture and Leisure,

26.1    The Culture and Heritage Manager reminded Members that an initial consultation on the Cultural Strategy had been carried out and emerging themes and priorities had been identified which would guide the production of the final draft report. 

26.2    The Culture and Heritage Manager gave a short presentation which outlined the emerging themes and priorities for the Strategy.  Members then split into groups to consider the themes and priorities. 

26.3    The Culture and Heritage Manager advised the meeting that their feedback would be considered during the development of the final plan which would be published for consultation in April.  It was agreed that the draft strategy would be circulated to members when it was available.

To receive an update from the Strategic Project Executive Manager, Highways and Transport

27.1    The Interim Outdoor Partnership Manager advised that due to late redesign requirements on certain elements of the road, the launch of the NWRR pre planning consultation had been delayed and that the presentation would need to be deferred to the next meeting.

To receive a verbal update from the ROW Mapping & Enforcement Manager on the revision of the Definitive Map and statement

28.1    The ROW Mapping & Enforcement Manager advised the meeting that the Rights of Way Definitive Map and Statement had been updated and passed around an example of the new map.

28.2    Members congratulated Officers on the production of the new map.

28.3    The Culture and Heritage Manager paid tribute to the immense amount of work the Definitive Map and Enforcement Support Officer had undertaken in updating the definitive map statement.

28.4    In response to a question the ROW Mapping & Enforcement Manager confirmed that the map was available on line, and that the online version would be updated as necessary.

28.5    In response to a question the ROW Mapping & Enforcement Manager confirmed that the old maps would be preserved and archived.

28.6    The Chair thanked the ROW Mapping & Enforcement Manager and her team for their work in updating the maps

To receive an update from the Chair on the potential impact of the Agriculture Bill which is now before Parliament

29.1    The Chair advised the meeting that the Agriculture Bill had received its second reading and would now pass to the Committee stage. 

29.2    The Chair stated that the main change that would interest members was the introduction of Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) which would replace the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and introduce the principle of payment for public goods and that provision of public access could form a large proportion of this.

29.3    Several Members expressed the view that they would rather see permanent additions to the definitive map as permissive routes only lasted as long as the funding was available and then tended to be withdrawn.

29.4    The Culture and Heritage Manager advised that the EFRA Committee had launched a call for evidence and advised that the Council were collating a response. She asked whether members felt that the Board should make a response.

29.5    The Chair advised that the bill excluded extending the RDP and that this would be picked up under the Shared Prosperity Fund.

29.6    The Chair advised members that the Environment Bill would be published shortly although full details were not known.

29.7    The Culture and Heritage Manager advised the meeting that as part of its declaration of Climate Emergency the Council had set up a Climate Change team led by Adrian Cooper

All members are asked to give a short update on key activities/ priorities/ issues

30.1    Mr Carr informed the meeting that the Chief Executive Officer of the Ramblers Association had resigned, and work was underway to appoint a new CEO.  He also informed Members that he had stood down as Chair of the Shropshire Area Committee and that Will Tandy had been elected as Chair. Mr Carr informed the meeting that he had concerns regarding the planning application at Mile End Oswestry and that he would be submitting a response to the planning application. He commented that there seemed to be a number of planning applications that looked at road developments in isolation and suggested that this might be a subject the Board looked at at a future meeting.

30.2    The Culture and Heritage Manager advised the meeting that Sue Finnigan had been appointed as Head of Culture, Leisure and Tourism.  She informed Members that she would continue to lead on Outdoor Partnerships and the AONB.

30.3    Ms Eaton informed the meeting that the work to prevent unlawful access at Quatt had been completed.  She remined Members that her organisation had funding available for works and volunteers available to help where required.

The minutes of the meeting of the Shropshire Riding and Carriage Driving Forum held on 14 October 2019 are to follow

31.1    Members noted the minutes of the Shropshire Riding and Carriage Driving Forum held on 14 October 2019.

Members are advised that meeting of the Shropshire’s Great Outdoors Strategy Board will be held on Thursday 4 June 2020 at 2.00pm

32.1    Members were reminded that the next meeting of the Shropshire’s Great Outdoors Strategy Board will be held on Thursday 4 June 2020 at 2.00pm