Rights of Way online map

Online Map of Rights of Way

How many people use an online map on their phone when walking or cycling? We are lucky to live in a country where there are so many established footpaths and cycle paths with more adding to the network every year. Check all the local footpaths at https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/highways/

All the information below can be found at https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/prow

What is a public right of way?

Gloucestershire Public rights of way are open to everyone at any time and give you the right to walk, ride a horse or cycle along certain routes. Some rights of way are open to vehicles.

You can use the Public Rights of Way (PRoW) form to report a problem with:

a sign
an animal
an obstruction
overgrown vegetation
the misuse of a path
cropping
ploughing
a structure on the path
the surface of a path

Report a problem on a Public Right of Way

If you have any other issues please contact https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/highways/

Covid-19 information:

Public Rights of Way, provided under the Highways Act 1980 and use of Access Land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000: Covid-19

Exercise remains important for people’s physical and mental wellbeing, so the government has said people can leave their homes for exercise and health reasons.

The National Farmers Union and Country Land and Business Association are still concerned about increased use of public rights of way on their property increasing the risk to livestock, such as instances of gates being left open and dogs not being controlled.

Further concerns have been raised by stakeholders that the use of public rights of way that run through gardens, farmyards and schools is increasing the risk of exposure to the coronavirus to residents and farm workers.

The risk of the coronavirus being passed on to others from people using public rights of way and other paths and trails is considered to be very low as long as people follow the Government’s instructions to maintain social distancing.

Government advice about the public’s use of green spaces is at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-guidance-on-access-to-green-spaces

Landowners do not have the legal right to block or obstruct public rights of way or access land. However, in very limited circumstances where large numbers of people are using such routes, landowners may consider the following measures:

tying gates open if it is safe to do so, so that walkers/riders do not need to touch the gate.
temporarily displaying polite notices that encourage users to respect local residents and workers by following social distancing guidelines and consider using alternative routes that do not pass through gardens, farmyards or schools. Notices may be downloaded from this webpage.
Note: this is a polite request only, and there is no power under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW) or the Highways Act 1980 for landowners to close or obstruct a public right of way or use of access land.
offering an alternative route around gardens and farmyards only where it is safe to do so (you must gain permission from relevant landowners and make sure the route is safe for users and livestock) provided that the original right of way is maintained.

Key points to Note

Under Section 137 the Highways Act 1980, it is an offence to obstruct free passage along a public right of way.

It is an offence under Section 57 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 to display a notice that contains “any false or misleading statement likely to deter the public from using” a right of way.
It is also an offence under section 14 of the CROW Act 2000 to display a sign which deters the public from exercising their right to use that access land
It is an offence under Section 132 of the Highways Act 1980 to display on the surface of a public right of way or on any tree or structure within the public right of way any unauthorised sign or mark.
Land owners may be liable for personal injury under section 2 of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 and Section 1 of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1984 if they are reckless or intend to create a risk – for example by offering a dangerous alternative.

This means that

If a land owner offers an alternative route, they must ensure that it is safe to use and that the existing right of way or use of access land is maintained so that users with differing abilities have a choice.
A notice must not imply that there is any doubt about the use of the existing right of way or use of access land.

It’s not over – by a long way!

Is it over?

With “Air Bridges” being formed and shops, hairdressers, pubs etc all being open you may be excused in thinking that the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Unfortunately, this is completely wrong. While here in the UK we have, sort of, muddled our way through to keeping new infections to a standstill, worldwide the new infections per day has just passed the 200k on the 2nd June

This is not something to celebrate, as in countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa, Bangladesh and Indonesia the virus is only now starting to take off.

And as for the USA….cases are at 8.5k / 1M of the population, twice that of the UK which is 4K / 1M but this is still a tiny percent of the 300M population. With the complete lack of any form of joined up leadership, one just wonders how many more will catch the virus.

Smelly Stinchcombe Slurry

You may not be aware of the route our village sewage pipe takes, after travelling South along Wick Lane it diverts across the fields before rejoining the highway further down.

At the start of July, Wessex Water had to come to the rescue as the manhole cover had burst and was overflowing with waste from the village onto grazing land and causing a stream of raw sewage to flow into neighbouring farmland.

The culprit: wet wipes, blue / green hand towels & other non flush-able waste, directly from our village!

The field is currently unusable and we hope the animals who were grazing it didn’t come into contact with the waste, time will tell. Wessex Water will be returning with their ‘Clean Up Crew’ team in an attempt to salvage the land.

Please all take this as a reminder not to flush difficult to decompose waste along with the items listed above.

Pixie Thomas

Ride & Stride 2020

Ride+Stride 2020

With lock down restrictions easing and churches re-opening, we believe that the Ride+Stride event as planned on 12th September 2020 will go ahead. Of course, we do understand that we need to abide by government guidance and also people feel comfortable with doing.

At present however, Gloucestershire Historic Churches are looking at various other options as well so no final decision has been made.

With churches having been shut for so long, the need for financial help for church renovation and maintenance is probably greater than ever so raising funds is particularly crucial this year. And as a church that regularly looks to the Gloucester Historic Churches Trust for grants we need to continue to raise funds to enable them to maintain their grant programme.

Stinchcombe Ride & Stride

Andy has been the mainstay of Stinchcombes efforts regarding the Ride and Stride for some years however at present there must be many cyclists out there this year who are now at their peak of fitness and would like to join, either individually or as a group to help.

If you can spare time on 12th September to help raise money for Gloucestershire Historic Churches, either by visiting churches, by foot, by car, or by bicycle, individually or as a group, please let me know and let’s make 2020 a special year!

Richard

Mask Tree

I am hosting a Community Mask Tree here at The Gables, Taits Hill, Mondays – Fridays 2 – 6pm.

I suggest a Donation of at least £2 per mask and are in aid of The British Heart Foundation (can be posted through my letterbox).

Regards to all.

Margaret Wannell.

Piers Court Footpaths

I have been asked by the Owners of Piers Court to include this text for publication.

The lockdown in recent months has been challenging for all of us. As a result, Piers Court has experienced a big increase in the footprint on its grounds. Whilst the majority of walkers have respected that Piers Court is a private property with public footpaths with a public right of way (PROW), some sadly have assumed that Piers Court is a public park which has resulted in undesirable consequences for the new owners of Piers Court (damage to property, unpicked dog fouling and blatant trespass). Whilst such abuse may have been due to insufficient signage and a lack of awareness by some walkers, the owners of Piers Court would like to kindly remind walkers that the use of the PROW is subject to a statutory code where the rules are laid out by law and not by the owners.

Now that the lockdown is being slowly relaxed, the owners have placed signs over the grounds of the property to guide walkers to the footpaths with PROW. Additionally, the owners have placed signs indicating where there are permissive footpaths which walkers can use at the owners’ discretion despite the absence of a PROW. All accessible footpaths (PROWs and permissive) have been cleared and widened so as to make walks more enjoyable. Furthermore, a viewing point has been cleared to enable walkers to take a short break and to enjoy the vantage point from the permissive footpath over the Church, Berkeley Castle and the Severn Estuary. The new owners would kindly request that walkers in the field which is furthest from the house (near Yercombe Lodge) use the permissible footpath on the edge of the field rather than the diagonal PROW. This polite request is for the purpose of limiting the damage to the crops (hay). The owners have a contract in place with a local farmer Chris Morgan who takes care of the fields in return for the hay yield. The owners are therefore requesting that walkers be community-spirited.

In addition, the owners of Piers Court are investing a substantial sum of money in restoring the original Parkland and planting new trees to replace those that are coming to the end of their life. This would be for future generations to enjoy.

The owners are close friends with Evelyn Waugh’s family, in particular with Septimus (Evelyn’s youngest son) who vividly remembers his early childhood at Piers Court and who is currently assisting the new owners. Given that it is the 75^th anniversary of the publication of Brideshead Revisited (which was written at Piers Court), the owners will be inviting some of the Waugh family to Piers Court to mark the occasion.

Helen Lawton.

“All opinions and information expressed in e-News items and on the website are those of the contributors and not necessarily of the Parish Council”

End of Lockdown – Should we be worried?

Still 8k new cases per week

‘Coronavirus hibernation at an end’ is what Boris has told us yesterday, despite the UK still having 8K new cases of Confirmed COVID-19 per week.

I have always, for my own information, compared the UK response against Italy. At the start, the growth was almost identical, but Italy’s lockdown was much harsher that the one in the UK with documentation needed to go out at all (even to walk the dog). – Hence the rapid decline in numbers. Here in the UK it was much less onerous and more trust driven. Therefore the slower rate of decline.

Unfortunately this also means that at present there are still around 8,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 per week and the rate of decline in numbers if new infections is slowing down. (see below)

This means that when the country re-opens with 1m distancing on July 4th there will still be a substantial number of new cases per week and still a pool of infection.

It is therefore inevitable that COVID-19 hot spots will occur around the country and we will be dependant on the Governments Test and Tracing skills which up to now have been woefully inadequate.

Forget the APP….it’s consigned to history and will probably be dropped. The Testing however takes up to 72 hours for results (gov own figures), but you won’t get tested until you feel unwell…..then the Tracing, only manages to trace 4 out of 5 contacts given.

So unless the population as a whole still maintains “social distancing” and the “washing of hands” and all other preventative measures, there is a real chance of the second peak arriving sooner rather than later.

We in Stinchcombe and Gloucestershire have on the whole been lucky with COVID-19 and shown admirable sense, but we should not relax our vigilance at all until the numbers fall further.

Just look what has happened to the USA when they re-opened too soon…..It’s now as bad as ever… (see below)