Parish access project

In February 2009 it was agreed that the Parish Access Project will be extended for a further year, running until April 2010.

In April 2004 the Council embarked on an ambitious six year rights of way ‘action area’ programme, known as the Parish Access Project. The aim was to open up almost 2000km of paths in 100 Shropshire parishes. The Parish Access Project employs a proactive approach to restoring access, in which the whole public rights of way network is surveyed, work required identified and these woks subsequently undertaken in each parish.

The Council has set aside nearly £1.5 million and recruited new members of staff to achieve this target. The Project currently has two Assistant Project Officers lead by a Project Officer, who are based at the Old Nills Quarry Implementation Depot. The Assistant Project Officers are engaged in the surveying of all routes, negotiation of works with landholders and practical works. Their duties are carried out under the supervision of the Project Officer, who provides administrative, technical, dispute resolution and enforcement support, contract management, local council liaison and project promotion. Additional administrative, mapping, data handling and legal support is provided by Countryside Access Team members based at Shirehall.

The team's practical output is boosted by the increasing use of specialist contractors as in-house staff have reduced from a peak of 8 members. A wide variety of works are carried out including vegetation clearance, surfacing, stile repair and replacement - increasingly with gates for easier access, and bridge installation.

The project is now beginning its sixth year with over 1750 km of Shropshire's public rights of way network having been re-opened. This has involved the installation of over 2000 stiles, nearly 2000 fingerposts, 1100 gates, 390 bridges, with around 74km of overgrown paths cleared. A large amount of positive feedback has been received from users.

78 parishes have been completed or have works underway and include: Abdon; Acton Round; Alberbury with Cardeston; All Stretton; Ashford Bowdler; Aston Botterell; Baschurch; Bedstone; Bettws y Crwyn; Billingsley; Bitterley; Boraston; Bucknell; Buildwas: Burwarton; Burford; Caynham; Cheswardine; Chetton; Clee St Margaret; Cleobury North; Clungunford; Cockshutt, Colebatch; Coreley; Cound; Cressage; Deuxhill; Ditton Priors; Easthope; Ellesmere Rural; Ellesmere Urban; Frodesley; Glazeley; Heath; Highley; Hodnet; Hopton Castle; Hopton Wafers; Hordley; Leebotwood; Leighton and Eaton Constantine; Llanyblodwel; Longnor; Loppington; Ludlow; Ludford; Mainstone; Middleton Scriven; Monkhopton; Moreton Corbet & Lee Brockhurst; Moreton Say; Morville; Nash; Neen Savage; Neenton; Newcastle on Clun; Oswestry Urban; Pimhill; Petton; Richards Castle; Ruckley and Langley; Shawbury; Sidbury; Smethcott; Stanton Lacy; Stanton upon Hine Heath; Stottesdon; Stowe; Welshampton and Lyneal; Westbury; Weston under Redcastle; Whixall; Wistanstow; Wollaston; Woolstaston; Woore; and Wroxeter.

Parishes to benefit from the sixth year of the project include:

Acton Burnell; Adderley; Ashford Carbonell; Astley Abbotts; Aston Eyre; Badger; Beckbury; Berington; Child's Ercall; Greete; Hinstock; Kemberton; Norton in Hales; Quatt Malvern; Shipton; Stanton Long; Stockton; Stoke upon Tern; Sutton Maddock; Sutton upon Tern; Upton Cressett and Whitton.

The Parish Access Project continues in its commitment to providing the easiest possible access and, since April 2006, has been able to install nearly 450 pedestrian and kissing gates. Many of these gates have replaced stiles, while others have contributed toward gaining access to previously unaccessible or obstructed routes.

The Parish Access Project team would like to express their thanks to all those who have generously supported the work to date, be they public rights of way users, Parish Paths Partnership local group members and Wardens or, of course, the many responsible landholders with whom the team have been fortunate to work so productively. The Team look forward to maintaining these relationships in the coming year and would also like to take this opportunity to call upon all who share this wonderful resource to do so responsibly and with respect.

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