Footpath Maintenance & Reinstatement
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Footpath Maintenance & Reinstatement
Footpath maintenance and reinstatement is a big part of what we do at Clear Roots Landscaping and working closely alongside councils and landowners is key to our success. With the emphasis on safety, there is a big responsibility for landowners to carry out footpath maintenance in the interest of their users. More info can be found here.
As a key skill in our portfolio footpath maintenance and reinstatement forms a lot of the work we do, and we have a wealth of experience in these areas. We have been asked on many occasions to come up with solutions that can make an historically non walking route, accessible to the general public.
Many of these old routes have surface run off problems that can be dangerous to walkers, cyclist and horse riders. Often we need to come up with solutions to alleviate these problems. This can include drainage solutions and water diversion routes. i.e. ditches, soak-aways among other strategies. Often we will identify old examples of these and open them, repair them and re use them. These have been put there originally for this reason. Sometimes however, conditions will have changed, or they had been installed poorly in the past and new solutions put in place.
Various things to consider with Footpath Maintenance and Reinstatement.
Surface Products
Surfacing products that we have used in the past include limestone, crushed limestone, limestone chips, limestone dust, gravel, shingle, road planings, sand, wood chip, bark chip, ballast and tarmac.
Drainage Issues
All sorts of considerations need to be given to the drainage requirements when installing new footpaths or reinstating them. Often the damage can be as a result of poor drainage!
SSSI's & Natural Beauty Spots
Footpath Reinstatement is often required in areas of SSI’s and natural beauty and this can have a big impact on how the work is carried out, which materials and machinery are used.
Popularity and Use
As more and more people have discovered the joy of walking in recent years, this has put more pressure on the existing routes. More and more resources are required to maintain them.
AONBs & SSSI’s and Footpath Maintenance & Reinstatement
Projects are often required in areas of SSI’s and AONBs. Extra planning and assessment is critical on these sites and working with Natural England, the Environment Agency and the landowner is key. As the type of work carried out can have a big impact, many considerations are planed such as which materials and machinery are to used. Having access to the right equipment such as tracked machines to reduce the impact on the environment is an important consideration. When sourcing aggregate etc., we will use locally sourced suppliers. All of these small steps helps to keep our environmental footprint down and is aesthetically pleasing on the eye by matching it as best we can with the local surroundings.
Cross Drainage
During construction of the Bridleway and Footpath reinstatement, we often have to install cross drains along the route to alleviate surface run off. These again need to be versatile for everyone, so care is needed. In constructing them, normally cambering aggregates to suit horse riders, cyclists etc. Maintaining a non trip hazard and making the route safe for all. These are all carried out to the clients request and also to fit in with the environment. We would usually direct these drains to follow into a soak away or a ditch.
Hard Surfacing
Other footpath reinstatements or repairs require tarmacking. This can involve more planning as we often use trusted contractors to help with this work.
Popular
Footpath maintenance and reinstatement is coming under increasing strain for landowners, and becoming a very popular request recently, as more people exercise their rights to roam. As an integral part of our business we have seen a larger rise in this work. With budgets being tight, many councils rely on the help of associations such as the ‘Ramblers‘ to highlight where there is a need for help.
some useful Information on SSSI's and ANOB's
There are certain things you cannot do on SSSI land without consulting Natural England and getting consent first. For example, you might want to change the way you manage woodland or change a grazing regime.
Each SSSI has a list of activities, known as ‘operations’, which need Natural England’s consent.
Find out about your land within a SSSI
Use the designated sites system (DSS) to search for a SSSI to:
- Get the list of ‘operations requiring Natural England’s consent’ (the ORNEC list) – you can download a list for each SSSI
- Get a map of the site’s boundary
- Find out why the site was designated
- Get Natural England’s ‘views about management’ report for its steer on how to manage land effectively
- Find out the condition of the site
You must get written consent from Natural England if you intend to carry out a listed operation within the boundary of the SSSI. Read the section Get consent to carry out operations on your land for guidance on how to do this.
If you do not have Natural England’s permission, you could:
- get an unlimited fine if you – or you allow someone else to – carry out a listed operation
- have to pay to repair any damage to the site
- Get an unlimited fine if you – or you allow someone else to – carry out a listed operation
- Have to pay to repair any damage to the site
You do not need consent for:
- Emergency work, for example to protect livestock during a flood (you must tell Natural England as soon as possible afterwards)
- Operations with permission from a public body or local authority (they must have consulted Natural England before they granted permission)
- An operation which is not on the ORNEC list for that site
An area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) is land protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act). It protects the land to conserve and enhance its natural beauty.
The CROW Act sets out the roles and responsibilities that different organisations must follow to manage AONBs.
This guidance is for England only. Visit the relevant websites for AONB management in Wales and Northern Ireland.