0:00 Welcome, Apologies and Introductions
4:10 Approval of Minutes
5:03 Declarations of Interest
5:20 Matters arising from the Last Meeting
9:20 Membership Update
11:00 Temple footbridge (Thames Path) closure – Does LAF support lobbying Govt and EA?
25:17 Update on Biodiversity Action Plan and Local Nature Recovery
36:58 Taxi Consultation
45:13 Subgroups Reports
1:03:54 Training
1:08:40 LCWIP Updates from RBWM Transport team
1:20:56 Milestones Statement Updates
1:24:10 Joint LAF Chairs
1:28:30 Horizon Scanning – SAPC Report – Status & Recommendations, and Sustainability SPD engagement
Good evening everybody excuse me before we start I have a a script to read out so welcome to this meeting of the local access Forum on Tuesday the 28th of November my name is Jeff priest and I’m chairing this meeting this meeting is being held in person and Via zoom and stream stream
Live to the public on YouTube I remind all attendees that are participating in this meeting indicates consent to the audio and video being streamed live and acknowledgement that after the meeting it will continue to be available in the public domain personally it would be useful for all panel members and officers could
Introduce themselves so that the public are aware of who is in the meeting and the role they are undertaking so I’ll start that process now um Jeff priest from hurly Parish Council and chair of the laugh I go left um I’m Jackie wheeler I’m parks and Country Side Access officer for the
Bish hi I’m Rosie Street um local nature recovery strategy officer at the council hello I’m Trisha menel and I represent thein interests in the bur hello I’m Steve Gans from East Parks Ramblers hello I’m Ian yant from East Parks Ramblers taking over from Steve hello I’m Susie sheirer and I’m
Here representing cycling thank you hello Alan Kean Bon Parish Council krie Richardson from counselor from sunning Hill and Ascot Parish Council Claire Taylor from Eon Wick representing biodiversity and footpaths access hello I’m councelor G Singh I’m a ward counselor for the St Mary’s Ward and I’m a member of the this panel thank
You hi I’m Jack Douglas also Council Marys and representing rbwm on thank you uh we do have an extra speaker at the back and I’ll ask him to introduce himself when we come to the item that’s relevant um I request that meeting participants do not speak unless I
Specifically invite you to do so once I’ve invited you to speak before you do so please state your name and the capacity in which you are speaking if appropriate I will also ask officers to speak at appropriate times if any individual attempts to disrupt the meeting I’m able to use my
Powers in the Constitution to adjourn the meeting or have the individual removed we will now start on the agenda items and do we have any apologies for absence please yes chair so we have a couple of apologies tonight we have apologies from councilor do Campo uh councilor Ward uh Howard who is
Representating the carish cooken parish council Ian Harvey representing the Cox green Parish Council Lisa Hughes and Martin Richardson thank you so um if anyone has any um any amendments or any um any comments on the minutes of the last meeting they let let us know as we have no comments are the last
Meeting’s minutes approved is that a yay or a a from anybody they’re all yay thank you the last minute meetings minutes are approved thank you any matters arising from those minutes from any members of The Forum there are no matters arising thank you sorry de interest double check oh be not sorry
I apologize I have missed an item which is the Declaration of Interest so are there any Declarations of interest from any members of The Forum at all no a membership update Jackie we need to go through the matters Rising report oh hang on I’m going too fast sorry I’m going too fast because
This is a this is a long agenda tonight and I’m trying to keep the thing rolling so we’re supposed to go now through the uh matters arising yeah so Jackie this is on page 13 of the papers um I just wanted to go through
Um the last item um on page 13 uh to just point out that um we have a laugh chairs meeting on the 6th of December coming up which uh Jeff Lisa and myself will attend um with other Regional laughs um chairs um and also to let you
Know that um the Kent local access Forum has accepted the invitation to to join that meeting um so it’s kind of growing um and also to let you know that um we’ve had uh requests from the um Natural England local access Forum engagement person who um will actually
Has asked um to know what local access forums want to collaborate on um and um so that’s something to bear in mind and I was thinking potentially we would need to um talk to the other local access forums in the area to to put something together to
That person but if anyone from this laugh has any um ideas of things which we could speak to Natural England about obviously but diversity is key at the moment and um improvements to um biodiversity on public rights way network is is one of those things and
Also um we have um the cut off date for uh the cut off date for uh sorry just my place um the new cut of date that’s just been um came into effect on the 17th of November uh for any um claims for historical rights of way
Um has been now confirmed as 1 of January 2031 um and we’re still awaiting the regulations for exceptions to that but th those are the couple of things that we could actually um collaborate with the new person from Natural England on I hope that makes sense
That they want to raise um with regards to any of that please let me know I think that’s it on item 5.1 which was Dy rowing Lake and closing of foot paath we communicated with the chair of the buckl who wasn’t aware that this was happening
Was trying to help us track it down and he doesn’t believe that they have any um option to interfere in any way because it’s privately owned land and the college will shut it as they see fit so uh I think we’ve sort of done as much as we can on that
Unfortunately um there there is um seasonal access and the buckl have agreed to take it to their next meeting to see if we could get support in approaching Eon College on that issue the membership update okay um the membership update lost my sorry everyone I’m having a little bit of a
There okay um so basically uh Steve Gillian is resigning as a member of the local access forum for wind maidenhead and um a replacement um for his uh rambler’s um representation on the local access Forum has been confirmed as Ian I ient and um that’s all been ratified so
Ian joins us as a new local access Forum member um I can confirm that the three new council members and welcome to G sing councelor G sing councelor Jack Douglas and councelor Katherine Del Campo who’s given her apologies um uh page 17 is a letter of thanks to
Steve for his time here as alais for member and I just want to say thank you been very valuable member thank you welcome all the new members I know the two bar councils who are here did join us at one of our um Mid meeting sort of work groups so
They’ve got some feel for what we are trying to do so hopefully we’ll see more and hope contribute thank you very much slight slight change to the agenda we’ve moved item nine up uh to this position uh firstly because Council Len wants to say a couple of words uh and then we can
Discuss as we’ve got here in in the council in the agenda item please need to go g no thank you Mr chairman Lam da Alon risbury sit on three Parish councils the R Bar and I’m also the representative for most of barkshire Hampshire West Sussex on the t’s Regional flood and
Coastal committee now I noticed your temple Footbridge on the agenda and I had alarm bells ringing because there’s another half dozen foot Bridges further down stream that have either rotted away completely or are rotting what is worse is that they were designed and maybe even built by the
Environment agency some 20 years ago not 30 years ago and then the environment agency passed them over to the burough councils or C or even County Council in the ca case of buckinghamshire so Berry hillfoot bridge I’m not sure whether you know but it broke uh some two years ago it was taken
Away at a cost of two no no 100,000 to take away a 35 meter long Timber foot bridge and has not yet been replaced and the replacement cost uh which will be in steel uh and Bucks will pay is about 400,000 now I I’m horrified Absolut absolutely horrified about what’s going on here uh because I can see it happening again not just on the river T scheme which is a 650 million pound scheme Downstream but also on the Oxford um flood alleviation scheme okay that’s all I have to say the temple Footbridge
Is your problem uh but I will be keeping a close eye on what’s going on and what the environment agency are doing and not doing thank you Mr chairman very much so as we have on the on the agenda the the main point of discussion for us is should we right to the
Uh environment agency um and the relevant government Department uh to actually Lobby for some advice some guidance and some more information as to what the intended process is time scale um and how they’re going to alleviate the amount of walking that has to take place now to get round the bridge um
So the question is does the LA want to support communication or do we just let the ball run because it seems as if it might just keep rolling so does anybody have any comments I mean specifically the Ramblers I guess who might probably use that more frequently
We should write the environment agency I I agree I think their mismanagement this is now their management is appalling their mismanagement is quite good um I think we should right with a series of questions you as you suggest I think as part of that we should ask for regular
Reviews of progress against the plan we ask them to give us as well because they’re I know they’re short staff but they are Masters at kicking stuff into the long grass and hoping we forget about it so I think those sort of questions I note from their note they
Say that that the closure may need to be temporary I’d like to see a definition of that and certainly at least six monthly reports back on progress and intentions thank you Steve just ccel okay thank you chair yes um and thank you for that um Council lham uh
For your input um yeah I have had a look at the the report on this bridge um yeah I am somewhat concerned about this uh Temple Bridge it’s a it is a very very useful Bridge um and it it does reduce um obviously it does um
Going around it makes it a lot longer obviously to enjoy that that part of um the the hurle area now um the report looking at report it it was um initially done in 2019 and um we’ve gone back and had a look at that report now and um it
Initially it was thought my understanding is that it couldn’t be repaired and now now we we can actually repair that R and put back into use um is that is that right is it can I come please Jackie Jackie please okay so um my colleague went to the Tams path partnership meeting
Recently um which is a group uh that meets um we have a temps path manager who works out of Oxfordshire County Council um and every so often there is a meeting of the temps path partnership which includes all the local authorities that are along the t’s path as a
National Trail um and the people um the environment agency also attend that meeting along with natural England um and although Natural England um sorry the environment agency didn’t attend the recent meeting in November but I do have an update um from um the temp’s path manager who actually managed to
Um get an uptate from the environment agency um they’re doing um survey work uh on the bridge um that is the plan at the moment they have they need to survey the bridge because it’s at the end of life um and they have a um a dedicated project manager dealing with
This now um who has said that um the survey work that they’ve wanted to do um has been unworkable due to the river conditions currently but they are hoping to get it done in the next few weeks um they uh hoping to have a report issued either pre- Christmas or early January
About based on the survey results they hope that the results will give them information on uh the feasibility and scale of refurbishment work required to the bridge which is that which is a Timber structure at the end of life um and or whether the more cost beneficial
Approach would be to replace the bridge um the survey there also installing monitoring gauges to assess movement and cracks in the timber uh the monitoring is designed to last 12 months um however the results in the first few months should direct them towards a preferred option and allow
Other activities to proceed in the meantime so that’s an update um from the environment agency about the bridge structure at the moment um it is a public right of way obviously the National Trail that crosses the bridge and that’s on a temporary closure um and they will be um keeping it on a
Temporary closure and applying for an extension for that closure to the Secretary of State because it will need to be closed for longer than six months um but also um the the temporary diversion itself is an issue which we would probably want to pick up with the environment agency um because there’s
Been a lot of complaints about the route um as it stands It Go along a Country Lane with no footways and is uh quite dangerous um and there are potential options which the environment agency are looking at that’s all I have as an update thank you Jackie thanks chairman if you remember I
Raised this um issue first last at the last meeting on behalf of par the biss Parish Council because biss is the is is is on the route um the for the diversion of this and it does cause some concern uh as Jackie has described um I’m but
I’m very confused now because I’ve I’ve heard that it’s that the environment agency have handed responsibility to the burrow but Jackie is reporting the environment agency are we clear who’s responsible for fixing this thing the bridges um the responsibility of the environment agency and they’ve confirmed that yeah that’s that’s
Absolutely clear the bar has no responsibility for for doing so so the an my my proposal in answer to the question on the agenda is yes we should be lobbying them uh quite quite forcefully I think they need to be clear that like Apollo 13 failure is not an
Option here it’s um it would it would be an admission that the the uh the standard of of rots that we have and crossings of the temps is gradually deteriorating and I think that’s a very bad message to send to to to the to the community
So I I propose that we do Lobby the the EA and the government if necessary I presume that means death def does it okay we need to thank you okay um yeah I was just going to say that yeah I endorse what Alan saying basically exactly the same thing um L
Lobby the EA and and also government the reason uh we need to Lobby the government is because in the report it does State about the the funding for a new bridge would have to come from government and obviously there’s no funding in place at the moment if if we
Do come to that point a new bridge if we can repair it my understanding is that that the new Timbers will would probably give us another five to 10 years uh and preparing in the future when we do need a new bridge we’ll have the funding in
Place if we start lobbying now so yeah that’s definitely push that rout thank you all right thank you so um it’s obviously clear we need to do something so hang on got another one yes Steve Jeff I was just going to suggest if we are to Lobby it would make sense I
Think to um let Ser a may know the position she’s a keen ramber and I think is in the past has been quite a strong lobbyist for for issues of this nature so I think it worth keeping her in touch yeah I I uh I see what you say I
Have to be careful because I’ve done a fair bit of communication with uh Mrs May on a couple of other things and I need to take steps I think we need to take the first step of communicating and see what we get and if we don’t get some
Sensible response then it’s time to so escalate it if you like I’m reluctant to go straight to uh Teresa may in the first instance although I know she’d be quite supportive but I think it’s uh the right way to go so my suggestion is that um between Jackie and myself we put
Together a draft of a letter that uh we would send to both uh defra and the environment agency um High liting our concerns Etc emphasizing the last statutory Duty because it is a um public right away uh so that’s my suggestion and we’ll get that done uh what I want
To know rather than waste time do you want us to circulate the draft by email for comment from any of you or would you rather be happy that we draft both of us are happy and we get it off sent off I’m happy for you to write without
Approval um May I just ask councilor Lam as the temple bridge is on the west side of the county or of the bar rather how many bridges further Downstream are in rbwm jurist or land as it were along the temps and how many of those are impacted
Because there may be consideration do we need to ask what measures the environment agency are already taking to check the um the Integrity of those bridges thank you sorry yes I see what you’re saying but I think at this moment in time um I think we have to focus on
What we’ve got on the agenda we can obviously add a a paragraph in saying we’re concern this may sort of extend down the river or up the river even um so therefore we can highight it but I think we need to focus on what we have
On the agenda as raised by fellow laugh members before so if you hand happy with that that’s the action and Jackie and I will take it forward thank you thank you very much Council AR we are now back on the agenda and we are having the uh Rosy’s presentation on
The biodiversity action plan so over to you thank you um I can’t share the screen it says host has disabled screen sharing okay now I can do it great okay okay um I’m not going to do all of these slides but um they can be found on the
Uh nature recovery website for some more information so um the nature recovery strategy I I uh spoke about this before but we are um a bar wide strategy with all six bur of barkshire as participating authorities and rbwm is the responsible Authority so um my role is to manage the recovery
Strategy within the natural environment team with the help of all the other bers in b as supporting authorities and um it came about because of um basically decline in biodiversity and this is a government strategy to create a nature recovery Network in line with lots of recent papers that have
Come out saying that nature reserves alone aren’t enough but that we need our nature to be in kind of more bigger better and joined up format so hence a more of a network structure across a county and actually across the whole of England um and that’s in line with some
Of the recent goals from some of the recent government plans so that’s where our lnr nature recovery Network comes in and I’m going to speak a little bit about what it’s going to consist of so um two outputs are going to be a statement of biodiversity priorities which is going
To be like a long list of what everyone lots of people across the county have as their priorities for nature recovery and also that’s going to be mapped onto a map of barsh year showing that this is new never been done before and um it’s
Going to be led by the results from lots of Engagement activities that are going to be happening early next year um a little bit more detail on the statement of priorities that you can look at and also the local habitat map and then I’ve got a quick quick
Example of um a pilot study that was done in Corall that gives you an idea of what this might look like on the left we’ve got the statement of biodiversity priorities so their various habitats and their importances um and then on the right that’s kind of mapped showing the
Purple where they’re kind of existing great areas for wildlife were and they’re mapping on where their opportunities might be um that’s a quick uh demo of all the different steps that we’re undertaking and then um basically the Ln RS isn’t going to be a kind of um delivery mechanism itself it’s going to
Be a road map and then the plan is that it’s going to be funded by lots of um schemes such as biodiversity net gain um a new um scheme coming into play in January that means that all developments need to increase their biodiversity by 10% right across England and so that um
If they can’t do that on their site they’ll need to kind of buy credits elsewhere to make sure they’re meeting that biodiversity net gain and the nature recovery strategy can be seen as kind of where it would be best to put those units in terms of nature recovery
So that’s how a lot of the ideas on the scheme are going to be funded as well as Farmers signing into like Land Management agreements uh and also kind of carbon credits getting money from that um it needs to be paid regard within the planning system so new um B
Local plans need to look at lnr strategies in the upcoming years so is a statutory document and we’ll kind of have weight in the planning system and we’ll do good things for biodiversity um and it’s also going to deliver some great uh ecosystem services and co-
Benefits um not going to show the video but you’re welcome to watch that online I’ll show the link at the end so uh’ been working on a great kind of structure of lots of different people in a Steering group which you can look at as well as various working groups um
We’ve got our kind of Baseline map mapped of where the best sites for nature are and then uh we’re in the stage of kind of working out how we’re going to plan our engagement sessions a big consultation and some workshops next year and then turn those uh turn that
Into Data that can be mapped using um probably systematic conservation planning and some programs which is really exciting I’m not going to show all that but I’m just going to show that um lots of opport unties to get involved um from residents from people who are local recorders from people who are land
Owners people who are local businesses to kind of offer up their lands potentially and talk about what their priorities are for nature so really really exciting um there is a I didn’t include that slide but um Jackie can circulate after there’s a a link to the website and there’s currently a survey
Live as well where you can um put your input in about how you’d like to be involved so that’s a Whistle Stop tour of the nature recovery strategy Jackie also asked me to speak quickly about the bat which is kind of being undertaken by other members of our team um and we’ve
Got um this is kind of this came about it was published 2022 I think it was made live and there’s been work going on to kind of undertake some of the targets so this is our um this is now rbwm and this is our biodiversity action plan so
Uh there’s lot of similarities with the nature recovery strategy but this is just rbwm based and also it’s kind of focusing on more specific kind of quantitative targets which are less maps and more actions that we need to take um as a council and as also lots of
Community Partners as well this is a photo of some of our local nature reserves um or local Wildlife sites um looking lovely in the summer so a lot of our biodiversity action plan kind of splits into three main uh streams as it were a lot of it is to do with
Engagement so um engaging more types of people with nature in general in rbwm this is done through uh social media through our websites and through lots of inperson events as well run by the council and fantastic Community groups um a lot of the biodiversity action plan focuses around 30 by3 which
Is a kind of um initiative kind of globally recognized as uh setting aside kind of 30% of a land space for nature kind of managed for nature um currently um we’re at a goal we’re at 26% and our goal is to increase that to 30% 30% by a
Variety of kind of restoration means and changes slightly in land use um so we’ve got various different habitat action plans there’s a kind of Woodland one a grassland one water ways standing water farmland and an urban habitat action plans and um not going to run through these but there’s also if
You want to look a kind of progress chart on how our different goals are looking in terms of all the different goals in our different action plans um what I will quickly finish on instead is a quick update on our Farmland habitat action plan um which is
Now mostly going to be uh framing our farm our land owners and our Farmers to sign up to the environmental Land Management schemes um and also there is now um a kind of partnership program where uh wild Maiden head one of our community groups are going to be offering up
Conservation volunteering for farmers and land owners to complete um conservation work on their land and finally that magic Maps which is the um kind of Def mapping system is going to be updated next year and this will reflect uh new new Farms that have signed up to the stewardship schemes The
Elms and we’ll hopefully um show all the new signups uh within rbwm and I’m just going to move on to any questions on that now thank you Rosie do we have any questions from anybody no yes Jackie could could I ask a question um I was just wondering if there was any
Um access um involved in the uh elm’s scheme um any sort of Public Access that could be given by La the farmers along with environmental gain I don’t know if you knew if there was anything like that within it I’m not sure in um in any
Detail actually I will need to look into that I think um but and you said magic Maps will have it um updated when did you say that was going to happen Jason just briefly quickly but he said some point next year think January or February that’s really useful thank you
I just have one question actually um well this is all great stuff I think uh obviously we want to see more of it but is there an intention to actually put a um boards up to indicate to anybody who might be walking through or can walk through as to what is specifically in
That habitat so you’re looking for NES Birds whatever it is um so there’s some descriptor so certainly for younger people who then can identify whatever your whatever grows in that specific type of habitat um I think that’s a really good question and maybe not relating specifically to the nature
Recovery strategy but uh within our national environment team we’ve been um thinking about those kind of questions and in recent years we’ve been putting up a lot more signage to do with our nature around our various reserves and there’s some really nice um kind of familyfriendly signs showing lots of
Different animals that a lot of a lot of nature reserves and I think the plan is to expand those signages to more of our local Wildlife sites and our nature reserves um and also we’ve been adding in I don’t know if this was mentioned at another laugh but Trails uh for example
There’s some fairly new trails up at braywick three different ones um with kind of different accessibility um levels to them as well and there are soon to be some Trails up around allenfield as well which is another Reserve in Ascot for kind of mostly walking access thank you very much thank you
Very much for the presentation you don’t have to stay if you don’t wish uh we have a had a request from the uh trading standards people about the taxi consultation and it’s being conducted on Zoom um by Greg so we’ll just wait for Greg to come online and then uh I think
You’ve seen it publicized anyway um but we’ll give him the opportunity to explain why he thinks it should interest the laugh because it’s uh public Highway rather than public footpath but so it’s over to uh to great good evening chair can you hear me hello good evening can you hear me
Chair we can certainly hear you good thank you well good evening to you sir and good evening to your colleagues uh thank you for your time I will try and keep this as brief as possible um I’m Greg Nelson the trading standards and Licensing manager for the Royal bar and
We have recently started a consultation public consultation seeking views about possible changes to the liery on Royal bar taxes now I appreciate as you just suggested shair this is not something um that You’ normally discuss and I app appr it’s not within your statutory uh remit but it is a form of public
Transport which people use to get around to um public spaces so uh I’d like to bring this to your attention and see if you have any particular views uh details of the consultation are on pages 55 to 57 of your papers this evening um so you may or may not have
Had a chance to look at them yet um can you see me on the screen chair yes we can thank you um well the first thing thank you I wanted to to check on that because I want to um first of all look at this delivery on um raw
Borrow taxes if I share my screen it may be that I can actually show you um what these taxes look like if you’re not sure so can you see that photograph of the taxi not yet you have been made a co-host Greg so you should be able to share your screen right how’s
That excellent thank you my apologies for my um slowness with getting that done um so for those of you who don’t know um Royal burough license hacky carriages to all taxes have to be painted like that they have to be white with a purple boot a purple Bonnet and a
Large Royal bar coat of arms on the side this has been a requirement since 2012 and pre administrations have wanted to keep this look on Royal burrow licensed hay carriages uh the drivers do not like it um because of the cost of getting a white vehicle the cost of the
Paint workk to get it to look like that and the lower resale value they’ll get when they sell the vehicle on so with the new Administration coming in uh earlier this year um the licensing panel of the new Administration have agreed that we can review whether or not we
Wish to continue uh with this uh look on on our Hackney carriages the questions quite simply in the consultation are whether um the public and as broad a um a selection of the public as possible hopefully think that there are benefits or detriments to having this look on our taxes whether it
Should be changed um or got rid of all together or possibly could we consider as we move away from fossil fuel vehic vehicles to electric and hybrid vehicles in the next 2 3 four 5 years which we’ll have to do um could be possibly make some changes to this Livery for vehicles
That are electric or hybrid just to demonstrate that we are moving in that direction uh that’s it as far as the consultation on the Livery is concerned chair um I’ve got lots more information but I’m conscious of you of the length of your agenda this evening and I don’t
Want to take up too much time so I wondered whether you as as a group might have a view whether individuals might have a view um and I’ll ask you at this stage whether you’ve got any views at all uh the um position of the the laugh
As far as I’m concerned is that this doesn’t fit within our statutory remit however the individual members of the laugh have every right to respond as an individual to the consultation as it comes up yeah or as they can access it so I’m sure they all have their own
Personal views um but I don’t think the laugh can make a official laugh response because as I say it sits outside of our statutory remit very much I I understand chair I I’ve just noticed and it’s rather remissed me I have not included a link to um the consultation which is on
The bar’s website in the notes that I provided for this meeting could I suggest chair that if I send those to my Democratic s’s colleagues who are helping you this evening and ask them to include that to send that link around to your members so they can uh look at it
As individuals is that acceptable yep it’s perfectly acceptable thank you I’m grateful too um the other matter that I was going to ask you about is to do with um checks that we carry out on uh the criminal records of our drivers and the regularity with which we
Do that uh that’s going to be the same chair I I would imagine that is not fall within your remit so similarly can I include that if I send the link um to my colleagues so you can send that around to the members rather than take up any
More time now yes you certainly can as as I say and it will be a personal choice how and when they respond okay that’s fine in that what in that case CH I will take up no more of your time I’m very grateful to you and your colleagues
For the time you’ve given me uh and um I will pass information on to my Democratic colleague services thank thank you chair whil we got Greg on on the line I just wanted to ask a couple of questions on that thank um first of all thank you very much for
Bringing that to our attention I mean it’s always handy to know obviously consultations out in the burough but I just wanted to ask Greg if there’s any um any results on that consultation um so far we’re sort of halfway through the consultation um I’ve not looked at the
Results yet counselor the it’s open until the 22nd of December uh and at that point I’ll look at all the results together okay all right thank thank you very much and and you know it’s very helpful for you to bring this to us because um and having all the consultation all together because
Obviously we’ve got the liary issue and then the DBS checks and also the EV Vehicles it makes it of um worthwhile when people are are doing taking part in that consultation to do it all together rather than having it all separate but thank you very much thank you
Chair thank you Greg very much much for presenting that thank you CH I’m sure you’ll get some sort of response individ sure thank you good night to you all good night uh the subgroup reports do we have any individual subgroup reports quick update um regarding carpenters wood which is
Part of bish wood which is part of the um Woodland’s trust I’ve looked at the map and I’ve also actually further discussed with Alan and Annie because I at the last meeting I said we we discuss a bit further um and Allan Nanny had previously brought this matter up with the
Landowners um he he looked at the um map and didn’t think there was um provision for the transfer of land which gives horses right to the general public specific to that so I I think we need to have another conversation and maybe put together what why we think it it should
Be open the this one stumbling block is the access from um stus Hill um there’s access to the land but the other end which goes to Henley Road is over private property and I think that’s where there’d be the if the wood gives us access we’ve still got to be able to get
Out the other end so I think until we know I know that the land owners would allow us to um continue on the route um then it they can the horse riders could still ride just round the route but obviously it’d be nice to have it as a
Continuous route um to do a circular um so I I was going to look at the um roads um if it’s been stopped you know because originally I think it was the old 404 Road that’s um being now used as a farm track whether that was officially stocked up
Um so I need to look at some of the um old records as well to find out but um I I know up to now none of the L the land owners weren’t that Keen to have horses go along the track although Public Access as such people walking dogs and everything walk along
That path and it’s bordered by fences on either side so they’re not going to stray onto the land okay well um and then the next one was um in Canon Lane the there is a track that goes from tile row up to the A4 and um Jackie very kindly found um
Got the land owners um map and it actually belongs to the National Trust which is quite good to know because the National Trust allow horses on the um land so we thought maybe um we should write to the National Trust just to make clarify that they’re happy
For us to C continue riding up that piece of um land because it certainly is very good for um having the horses off the main road and also for crossing the busy A4 to get onto maidenhead um ticket Jackie Trisha I just had it um obviously
I emailed you to get your thoughts on um how much horse use horse riding use it would be of how much benefit it would be um do you know how many horse riders actually use that route uh is it is it one of those kind of they they may use
It if they know it’s possible to use it or um it will only be used by local Riders and I think most local Riders are using that rout anyway but how many I suppose it depends how many the number of Livery yards around there but it is used I mean
It’s not heavy use right okay no just my concern local Riders if they want to do go from The Little Thicket to the main um sort of pinkney’s green open area that then that’s the route I think most people would take as opposed to riding
Up Canon Lane I think sorry I think it was just a concern um from myself and um and Sharon my colleague um that it was worth doing and worth approaching the National Trust to formalize the horse riding but yeah um if that if you think it is worthwhile uh sort of use of
Resources um we would be happy to uh support your email to the National Trust and um do you know who you should be emailing no that that was bit my stumbling box I thought I’ve got to find out who’s the best person to approach
Yeah well um I can help you with that so I will email you the details I’m happy to write um a letter on behalf of forse riders um but I yeah I hadn’t progressed any further who I should write to okay I will do that and the final one which came up was
40 acres workingham um which I haven’t done anything about but um it’s I know Jeff you you meet with some of the other left laugh heads and I I think I’ve read somewhere that you’d like to have some projects that are shared between the different laughs and and to my mind that
Could that’s a possibility and I’m happy to discuss a bit further with you offline um okay well that is an item that is an item on next week next week’s agenda is cross border do we have uh the Ramblers or the multi-users should we say multi-uses
This time um just two points Jeff if I can one although I’ve stood down from the left because I’ve stood down as Ram’s chair um I would like to carry on working on the walks for all project and I’ll contact Lisa directly on that so
Just as an update on on that one um secondly we’ve had a number of reports um about an issue that isn’t new and that’s cycling on footpaths and particularly the terms path um which causes some some tensions um as I say it it’s not new I know Jackie has had tried
To deal with this in the past as as her predecessors as well I think most uses are reasonable but it’s a sensitive issue but i’ I’d like to think we could look at ways of of taking that taking that forward and resolving the problem really in a non-confrontational way not
To take up time now what I’d suggest or ask or propose I suppose is that the multi-user group be asked to look at that issue and in in doing so perhaps better to two possible ways out in mind one is the possibility of asking local cycle clubs and groups who I suspect to
Almost entirely reasonable users um to remind their members and other cyclists of um where you can and can’t cycle which you can’t on public footpaths although you can on on Bridal ways and secondly asking whether the um oh and so to remind them about the problem of no
Cycling way markers being being um vandalized and secondly to ask the council whether they consider installing larger signs at popular entry points to the to the temps path um in case the existing quite small ones are being genuinely missed by cyclist I think that is the the case in in some instances so
Really if the two groups if if the group could look at those two issues and any other ideas I think that will be helpful Jackie thanks chair um in my experience uh there are a couple of locations in the B um frog Mill being one of them um there
Were problems in Old Windsor uh the other year um with signage being removed also at mil Lane where the terms path uh meets mil Lane uh in cookham that’s another place where we’ve had signage just removed relentlessly um and it it is an issue obviously uh the signage costs money um
Particularly if you want it to be more robust um and um I recently um actually went out to frog Mill and put more of the no cycling roundles on the section which is um the the the problem area um we yeah we do um make a point of the large signs where
There is a kind of connection um at that point at frog Mill uh there was a larger sign um to make it absolutely crystal clear um but that has been that was damaged but we’ we’ve replaced that one um yeah I think it’s it’s um a case
Of it’s a very minority group of cyclists that are doing this kind of thing and that are not acting considerately and I think the ideas of going to the actual cyclist groups um I think that is a really really good idea to to pursue and
Um I think uh the cycle hubs could help get the message out as well Maiden head cycling Hub wins the cycle Hub um and there are lots of um lots of actual lots of groups on uh the British cycling websites um let’s ride and what have you so yeah
Um we could do some work on that I think Su sorry about that and thank you chair I I certainly support Steve’s points and um would be very happy and I’m I know uh my other fellow um cycle Hub member would be very happy to to pass that on
Through both hubs and I also um happen to pass through probably the major interchange Rec cyclists on a Sunday morning um on my way uh through the town and um I would be very I have spoken regularly with the manager there about some small issues related and and would
Be very happy to pass this on as well thank you thank you Susie first of all Steve thank you for offering to continue to support Lisa um in the project that you’ve been working on that’s even though you’re no longer a member of the laugh um can I suggest I
Know Lisa is not here um but can I suggest that you tie up with Lisa and agree how multi-groups can approach this and then whether you do another Workshop or whatever um and then see I know Jackie would love the support because it is difficult and I think um because this
Comes up quite often at other Council meetings and I think it’s the main problem is not just the cyclist it’s the aggressiveness of the cyclist that causes the problem um you know if they stopped got off their bike and walked when they went past somebody they probably wouldn’t get so much complaint
But they actually spend their time trying to knock the pedestrians or the Walkers off the path or making them leave the path so I think that’s the cause of the problem as much as anything so if you’re happy to do that yes Susie thank you thank you chair
I just um if there’s time just now to to raise a couple of cycling updates if so um last time at the subgroup meeting um I mentioned that um neighborhood plan in Windsor had suggested providing an off-road cycle path along Field Road and that that was my initiative in in my
Role on the neighborhood plan and um the it was Crown estate land so this was um to go along the southern edge of winkfield Road and and at that time uh Crown state was not keen to explore this idea further um Martin was Keen to um see if there were some maps available
And whether we could um eventually negotiate uh with crown State he has looked and hasn’t found maps and my suggestion um if it would be all right would be to take this particular issue back to the subgroup and see whether we might uh come up with a a proposal to
Engage with um Asad and sunning um parish councils and um brel Forest um to see whether they might be interested in working with us to look at it from both ends and since the route would hopefully begin to evve to bring the conation in in the southern part of the
Burough um provide access so that it can reach Windsor it’s the it’s missing link if you like and and then on the Willows path and the site al21 which is directly adjacent uh is now about to commence development um in the new year for 135 units and we’re very keen to see that
The cycling and walking infrastructure within that development uh links with existing and potential new recycling infrastructure outside the development this is very much um in line with the AC of travel England standing advice note which was published in June 2023 um looking at how to engage uh cycling and walking and
Wheeling through new development and going out with into the rest of the infrastructure thank you Susie um on the new de on the developments the original local plan was reviewed by the laugh intensively and all of the development plans at that time we indicated where they should
Either link up paths install New Paths both for Walkers and cyclists um that was supposed to be provided to any um developers in predevelopment talks uh whether that’s happened since the change of administration or whether not I don’t know um but we will have reviewed that and uh again it’s easy to
Come back and review after the event but it might be difficult to build anything but if the um the Burrow’s uh various initiatives in regards to cycling and walking of there they should have been in with the planners at the start anyway in my view yes um thank you chair that that’s
Correct and the Willis path is right away and to the best of my recollection that was included in those plans and and those discussions and it’s it’s the new links through crossing the willer’s path that we’re interested to make sure uh are put in place thank you okay thank you
Thanks chair um I just wanted to say that it would be worthwhile having um another subgroup meeting um on the back of the one we had in September to pick up on the issues were some of the issues were in the notes uh that were circulated with the papers on page 59
But obviously we need to take those forward and it would be good to have another meeting before sort of I I I would imagine sort of I don’t know January time perhaps um and I’ll I’ll circulate some dates so that we can get together again and push forward some of
These um some of these issues um I know Martin also um emailed me uh Martin Richardson almost also emailed about um the Jubilee River and um the uh the removal of the um the plan for sustance to have a trial removal of some of the barriers along the Jubilee River um and
He was asking for um for um some updates and to find out what what the situation was with that um I um emailed him back and I’m just wondering if I actually put that in the papers but um I have got a meeting with um slabber Council um a
Contact there who deals with the Jubilee River um and I’m hoping to speak to them before Christmas to discuss the um that trial because I I believe that majority of the barriers are actually in the slor uh Council area so I will get back to Martin on that and some circulates and
Dates thank you Jackie and thank you all for the updates does anybody have any questions of the multi-user groups or specialist groups no thank you training do we have any updates on training I don’t think there is anything on training um Trisha is there anything that you’re aware of
Sorry doing further training like the one that Lisa attended um if you’d like me to keep you updated red dates in case there’s any other people in La would like to attend we’ll do so for the those who are not aware the uh British horse Society it’s the horse
Society correct I think they do some training about we were concerned about the the relationship between cyclist Walkers horses dog walkers um and they do a sort the base course if you like which um is done online and it helps people to understand how uh the paths the foot paths the bridal
Ways can be used sensibly um and we were I know two fisha and Lisa the vice chair took part in the training and they thought it was quite good so the um the options are there but we need to get an update now as to when they might be on
And and there’s a cost to them and how we fund that so that’s basically where the training issue is because there used to be a fairly detailed laugh member training which took two days and was quite costly uh which the council had to fund um and you couldn’t get everybody
To commit to two days solid training so these are the only sort of avenues we’ve had to get extra knowledge into laugh members who may not understand the purposes of the paths so that’s a background basically thank you can I just um take us back to um
Item five quickly um I’ve forgotten to ask if anyone had any comments about the uh page 61 which was um the draft forward work plan um for priorities and areas of interest and if everyone was happy with that or had any um comments or um it would be useful to know because
That that um I think is what we’re going to be work what the local access forum is going to be working to over the next couple of years um you’ll note that uh there is a consolidation of the DMS which is um one up from the bottom the DMS is the
Definitive mapping statement um which we um will need to do um and we would um like the local access Forum to be involved in that as as well as the next one down which is the review of the rights away Improvement plan um the current plan runs to 20 26 so we will
Need to start looking at how we’re going to review um the whole strategy over the next couple of years um and potentially do some engagement work um to make sure it’s fit for purpose um so yeah if you could feedback any comments you have on that useful thank you Jackie
These are these are quite detailed um items on on here and we we have done them in the past uh particularly the um the engagement of the laughs and the uh not so much the biodiversity but the um effectiveness of the laugh plan um it does require at least some commitment to
Some time in a workshop working together to putting together something sensible that we can present back to the the relevant Council um plan board so that they can either write them into the plan and they’ll all require funding of some sort I would guess so um we would have to spend a bit
Of time making sure what we were thinking we would need or would be good for the for the residents is fundable basically so uh at some stage we will be looking to get some help from fellow laugh members to try and build this thing um we can’t just leave Jackie to
Do it all because it doesn’t work that way so just giving you a little bit of advanced warning on that thank you LC whip um so um item seven is the LC the local cycling and walking infrastructure plan updates um received from um our transport team um so this is on page
63 through to 65 and um gives an update of um everything that they’ve been able to accomplish um so far with various um studies underway um for improvements in Ascot and the sunning um so active travel England have funded studies into um walking and cycling improvements
That could be made um and I know there’s a lot of Engagement work going on with regards to um that area at the moment um and um if you look down that they’ve also listed um the the um improvements and um things that have been done in the Windsor and Eaton Windsor
And eaten um so I guess uh and also over the page Maiden head um what I what um so these are obviously um the updates so far but I’ve also um received um a recent um a recent engagement request from a transport team as well
Um with regards to if I can find it there with me a new drawing that um I sent round to members I believe it was yesterday um for comments for local access Forum comments um so Doug trelan who’s the um transport policy manager for winter
Maiden head um s has a drawing um of proposals for um improvements for King Street in maidenhead town center and um would be really pleased to receive input from Members about the um I think a couple of members have already emailed um questions to to Doug about the the
Drawings but um he’s looking at I think it was the 17th of December if everyone would like to feedback their comments to me um by that date um or before that date in fact I can actually I don’t know if there are any comments um um but I’m I’m just
Putting out that it would be really good to if you could have a look at the drawing and just um if you’ve got any questions or if you’ve got any comments let me know um and um you could copy dug in as well um so that that would be
Really useful it was on the back of the um Walkabout that we had um in Autumn 2022 um so CH got com thanks J if I could ask a question to Jackie well to The Forum generally actually to you um what what’s the forum’s general sort of um stere on
Whether we prefer to have like mixed use or single use so this proposal is for a cycle track down the middle of the so the possessions be to either side and the Cycles be right in the middle is that is that the kind of thing we generally want are looking to achieve
Well having having looked at the email the drawings that were sent I think this one this particular one lends itself to separate them because that’s one long straight um and you wouldn’t want cyclists and walkers on that one long straight because somebody be doing a a fairly fast Pelt down there I would
Think because there’s nothing to stop when speeding down there so I think generally uh we did this when we did the um a couple of the other ones that we’ve been asked to look at that separation is the easiest most comfortable way for pedestrians and cyclists to work or use
Use the network um if you inter Bingle them too much it does become a little bit fractious shall we say um so I think separations our preference and sorry can I just ask um also so he asked for comments about whether there should be some sort of like cyclist calming measures like
Wiggling of the track do do we C for that sort is that something we want nor I think those those points were already raised somebody had had raised them I did see them in there that there should be um either something that that slows that breaks the straight line down
In a sense I mean they’re never going to change the straight line because the structure of the road is delivers it that way but I think there was talks of either putting some sort of um obstacles in that would actually slow cyclist down a little bit yes that’s that’s what I
Was asking about so those comments that I saw already that we’ve all seen but I’m asking whether we typically that’s mean we want typically we just think you know leave it unincumbered and let the Cy go preference not that I’ve noticed uh I think we treat each each of these as
They come up as individually and look at the circumstances I guess um but I never I don’t think we’ve ever sat down and and said and set down some principles as to what we think um the only principles we ever try and set down is the quality
Of the of the roadway or the or the walkway the materials used on foot paths Etc that’s where we we tend to try and hit them with some pretty standard stuff that we want to see on the on the path rather than where you put for certainly gateways and
Things where we can restrict but not generally not to much knowledge unless other the left members like Jackie has got um thanks chair um I just wanted to come back to um councelor Douglas it’s um a consultation from our transport team who will be operating this is a consultation for improvement to the
Highway um obviously along King Street so it’s adopted highway it’s not public rights away but they are actually asking for our input into the design um and the comments um about the wig um was a comment from when we went out on the Walkabout with um the transport
Team um a few members of the local access Forum went uh along with myself and fed back to uh the transport team so that they were able to take on board the ideas of that group um in terms when we were actually in the environment looking at what would make things better for
Walking and cycling between the station and the top of the High Street so what they’re asking for is um just comments back on the design that’s now been put forward for that and uh yeah I think keeping the Walkers and cyclists separated in that kind of busy
Environment is one of the things they they look at so um yeah it’s it’s it’s um whether or not you think the drawing uh indicates that those um that it’s that the improvements are good uh there obviously they have their guidance that they have to um comply with uh so um if
It would it would be really good if everyone if you have any comments such as the comments that you have um if you could feed them back to myself and um to Doug trlin on the email that would be really useful thank you than S uh thank you chair yeah just
A couple of points um um on the consultation it does say about the there’ll be some benches and Planters um dotted around will will there be a drawing produced later on for that or will that be um something that um will be decided sometime in the future the roads and traffics would be
Looking at that at some the planet it stands at the moment is what the drawing we’ve seen which I think is budgeted I guess whereas Planters and things I think the icabs will ultimately turn up when they can get the budget is my guess and that the the rest of it I I’m
I’m quite pleased that the the Contra flow that you’ve taken um they’ve taken notes that Contra flow wasn’t very sensible um there was a lot of objections that we were receiving from residents about that and businesses so I’m glad that the the funding has been diverted and it’s going to be spend bent
In a sensible way in King Street that that area of King Street looking quite nice once some the the one made in their development is finished and at the tempo so it’ be quite good thank you Milestone update Jackie so yes just before we leave item seven um the point uh
2.5 status of active travel England support and funding the last last item in that section on page 65 I I just wondered if I could mention um the in the second bullet point it mentions active travel England um now a consult on larger developments in the buau they have actually published two
Documents and one is their standing advice note which is suitable for anyone who’s planning a development um and can be applied from uh developments uh with as few as 10 uh dwellings um and that that is it’s standing advice so all developers and developments um are encouraged
To be aware that that um will be used as a benchmark against which to analyze um evaluate the um uh proposals and the second is um a sort of um well it it’s referred to as the planning application assessment toolkit and it’s designed specifically for planning highways and
Any other officers who would be um assessing the merits of a of a development and it’s in the public domain and it is recommended that all local authorities make use of the toolkit thank you suie um I think you’re referring to National documents which is fine what what I was talking about
Earlier was a laugh review the local plan in relation to the existing or paths that we would like within the development so uh it’s not an incumbent on the bur but um certainly a statutory requirement to pay attention to what we had to say so I think it’s slightly
Different we we wouldn’t get into the technical document we would we would be very much analyzing each of the plots on the basis of what we can improve on sort of commenting on what’s what’s in the report here thank Master statements Jackie okay uh thanks Jeff um so on page
71 of um your agenda pack um you’ll see the um mileston targets for 2324 um this is the up to-date um where we are at the moment um with regards to we we don’t have um the Autumn survey result in quite yet that’s just coming in um for the um ease of
Use yes I’ve just been given the paperwork for that um Ramblers I thank you Ramblers for doing the volunteer surveys for us for the condition of the public rights away Network um and um you can see the if you know uh the actual uh text that’s in red is
Um works that are not yet completed but that we we have um funding for and um I don’t know if there are any questions or any comments with regards to the report but um we will be doing um the normal um Milestones review um consultation in January with the parish councils and the
Local access Forum as well um anybody have any questions or observations on the Milestones Ste just one chair for information I think on ac2 on um physical access Improvement I think I’m writing saying that we’ve now replaced all of the Styles in the burrow that we can the only outstanding ones are those
Where the landlords have refused to let let us replace them and we we can’t do that so I’m really saying we’ve gone as far as we can on that particular um Target until some land owners change their mind thank you very much um just to say um on that ac2 I
Think we have to um sort of start thinking outside the bo um with regards to what constitutes a physical access Improvement um it could be um remove removing Gates or um it could be the surface or what you’ve put in there with with a handrail being
Repaired um some of these are not large um sort of large scale improvements but we’re kind of doing what we can at the moment with resources we have thank you Jackie any further observations or questions we’ve done the temple so uh we have already mentioned the joint lasts
Chair meeting and I think is there an update on um with regards to number 10 which is joint last chair meeting it was just to draw people’s attention members attention to um the request from the mid and West B laugh um about an actual temps Valley circular walk um and the
Actual purpose of it of of the report is to um to ask members to or invite members to investigate the route where it passes through wind Maiden head potentially and provide feedback for Mid and West barkshire local access Forum um there is a link um on page 83 um if you
Are able to go onto the electronic document um to actually um look at the at the root um and feedback if you can information on the quality of the Walk um and whether or not it could potentially be a route to uh promote um which is what the uh mid and
West barkshire laugh are looking at potentially doing it surrounds reading and is able and um so anyone um from reading is is is able to get to this circular route by um means of public transport um the railway uh linkages are there on the map um and I
Think it’s one of those routs that’s been sort of on the on a on a smaller website and whether or not it gets it would it it would be interesting if it was able if it was to be more of a promoted route it would obviously
Encourage people who uh want to reach do some walking and get there by public transport so um anyone’s um I’ll follow that up with an email to members and see if you have any comments on that and I’ll also do some investigations myself thank you chair um yeah I’m just
Looking at that route that seems very ambitious isn’t it it’s really uh it’s really good like 125 mile walk around and you’ve got such a scenic route uh I mean our our route sort of um in the B sort comes and goes out doesn’t it it goes sort
Of sort of uh s Marlo born endway and through Maiden head then down through Windsor and Ascot and um off to Sandhurst I mean that that is really really um quite quite a nice sen group but um and I like I like the fact it’s
Got loads of beds all over the place so you you got places to to stop stop over and have a kip but um has has this been already been in in place and you say it’s been on the smaller website people already been using this um this route
Jackie bars I I believe yes it has been um promoted on this visorando um walks around reading website um and I think it was um drawn to the attention of um Simon Pike who is the local access Forum chairman and mid and West barkshire and he drew it to his
Members attention and um then because it goes into other bough areas um he um you know pushed it out to his contacts within the other local access forums of the area um and just potentially just wanted some feedback on on the quality of the route really um and because um it
It does have potential okay thank you very good any other questions on the joint chairs meeting which we will send a note out after uh the meeting probably be after Christmas I would guess by the time the minutes are done and out so you’ll all know what we’ve said Horizon
Scanning um thanks chair um I just wanted to uh draw people’s attention to the um report from um sunning sunning Hill and Ascot Parish Council and um I know K’s here from um sunning Hill and Ascot Parish Council um we recently had a meeting um myself and
Um uh Sharon wton from the public rights away team with with the parish council to look at um improvements um in the in the network um in that part of the bough um I don’t know if Carrie want to say anything um we’ve formed a work cycling and work cycling and walking working
Party jointly with Sunningdale Parish Council and one of our um goals of that was to link up the two parishes s South Northwest to Southeast and we’ve identified several public rights of way rout potential routs there and engaged with with Jackie and Sharon looking at linking
Um in the map from sunning Dale station um up rise Road into into Ascot utilizing current public rights of way that are there and then there’s a there’s a gap um which runs alongside some privately owned land Network rails we’re looking to engage those stakeholders to see how we can further
Take that forwards um as members of the laugh May well be aware there’s quite a lot of Development coming into sunning Dale sunning Dale sunning Hill and Ascot so um providing um safe spaces for people to uh to walk um from either active travel Leisure um school children
Etc is quite import of this was identified as a as a key route that we’re looking to progress um so that’s why we engag Jackie and Sharon um I just wanted to say as well as part of um when we were chatting with the parish council um it was a case of
Um getting as much support as possible for an approach to the land owners which is mainly Network rail um and I took an action way to um see uh to to contact our transport team to um to see you know to see whether they were um supportive of the idea of
Um the footpath 13 route alongside the railway line um and they have come back and said they are supportive in principle of the improvements um it has some good potential Network rail may may be more open than they used to be which is the main point and the main reason
That we would um think it’s worthwhile pursuing um another approach to them but um the main thing was to ask that um the laugh for laugh support as well uh for the um for the route and for the approach to network rail not quite sure at the moment what that would look like
Um so I think discussions need to be had but if in principle the local access Forum supports does does the local access Forum support it thank you Jeffy um thank you all very much for attending this evening uh we will communicate with everybody on the bits
That we’ve said we’ll get out uh to you all um I know it’s early but I wish you all a Merry Christmas and see some of you in the new year and some in spring so safe journey home all thank you end of the meeting thank you