|
It is important to take into account the principles of support and funding for the maintenance and management of paths in North Lanarkshire. The resource audit highlighted that securing long term funding management of the path network can prove particularly problematic. As well as the requirements of the new legislation discussed above, this reflects the limited resource budget available within North Lanarkshire Council, and the focus of many alternative external funding sources on capital rather than revenue support.
As highlighted in the resource audit (see Appendix 1), a growing number of funders will now only provide grant aid for the development of new paths if there is an accompanying commitment to ongoing management. It is possible that this requirement will become more common as funders seek to ensure that the value of investment is maintained.
The following points are designed to reduce the management burden associated with the path network:
- Management efforts should be targeted in those Action Areas and on those paths where the benefits will be maximised. These benefits may be in terms of the recreation resource generally, particular groups of users or the needs of landowners or managers. The concept of Core Path Networks, established under the proposed legislation, is intended, amongst other things, to focus management effort on those paths that matter.
- Farmers and other land managers should be encouraged to maintain paths crossing their land. This could be achieved via incentive payments or the Woodland Grants Schemes. North Lanarkshire Council and the North Lanarkshire Access Forum should also consider how volunteers or communities could assist land managers in maintaining the path network, as a means of developing partnership approach to maintenance.
- North Lanarkshire Council / the Access Forum should work with landowners and managers to define local management agreements which meet the requirements of users in terms of path provision and maintenance but which are sensitive to the operational requirements of farmers, foresters, and other land managers. Such agreements should also be sufficiently flexible to respond to management issues as they arise, and should aim to secure ongoing management, re-assure land managers about their ability to manage the land as required, and address any problems early on.
- Paths should be designed and constructed so as to minimise management requirements. Design and construction should reflect the physical conditions (ground, conditions, topography, drainage etc.), users (level of use, types of users) and locations (urban fringe or remoter rural).
- Regular monitoring should be undertaken to identify problems before they require major expenditure. Monitoring information should be recorded using GIS.
- The further application of the commuted payments approach should be explored, as explained more fully in the resource audit. Under appropriate circumstances, it may be possible to use capital funding to fund one-off payment to third party organisations to provide ongoing maintenance and management over an agreed period. Land may be held by the local authority or leased to such an organisation.
Back to Contents Forward to Next Section
|
Search NorthWeb
