Nature Features

For some time walkers have privately expressed concerns regarding the state of many of the footpaths within Staffordshire.
Across the county there are many instances of footpaths which the general public are unable to use - because the stiles are in poor repair, footbridges are missing or the paths are blocked. 
This is the reason why the campaign has been launched, so that improvements can be made that will benefit everyone.

Staffordshire's paths

Staffordshire has some of the best landscapes in England if not the UK. The mixture of hills, secluded valleys, woods and lowland countryside offers walkers, of all abilities, something that is rarely found elsewhere in other counties. It is arguably our greatest asset and we should encourage everyone to use it!

It is also true that when potential employers are looking to start up businesses or to relocate to an area one of the many things they consider is the quality of life their employees are likely to experience.

The benefits of walkers and ramblers to the rural economy and to tourism are well known. Walking too is a healthy pursuit.

Overgrown hedge blocks the path

Paths blocked

If, however, the general public find their way is blocked, then they will either not go out for a walk in the future or will walk in counties where the footpaths are in a better state of repair. Some footpaths have been deliberately blocked by selfish or negligent landowners, and some are simply in too overgrown a state to get through easily.

Walking in the Staffordshire countryside can be a great plus, but only if access can be gained through a well maintained footpath network. 

Firstly it needs to be understood that the maintenance of the footpath network throughout England and Wales is the responsibility of the local Highway Authority; in this case that is Staffordshire County Council.
While it is true to say that there are some Highway Authorities whose record on footpath maintenance is worse than Staffordshire, the best are able to boast an `easy to use´ rating for the general public of 98%.

It is also true that a number of the poor performing authorities are at present increasing their spending dramatically on their footpath networks, whilst Staffordshire by its own admission has not increased its spending recently!
It also needs to be stressed that the problems are in Staffordshire are countywide, not juts restricted to one area.

At this point I wish to stress that this campaign is NOT intended to be an attack on the full-time Rights of Way Officers at County Hall, who with the limited resources do a good job. 

Resources

The fact of the matter is that the backlog of clearance work, which has accumulated for all sorts of reasons, is unlikely to be reduced without a substantial increase in the financial resources.

This campaign is also about improving the footpath network in Staffordshire so that it is the first among equals rather than an also-ran.
Ramblers and members of the public must pull together and help the footpaths officers - by reporting blocked paths, and by giving financial aid to support the work of lobbying groups like the Ramblers' Association.

Blocked - how?

The reasons for footpaths being blocked come in several forms: some are due to lack of maintenance; in others it’s due to the growth of vegetation; and some is deliberate obstruction by the farmer and landowner.

There are also many stiles that after twenty years or so that need replacing simple because they have come to the end of their useful life. In the worst cases there are potential safety issues.
There a few paths where footbridges are missing so a person walking along the path finds that their route blocked because they cannot cross the stream or river.

There have and still are some cases of farmers ploughing and cropping a public right of way. This occurs when the farmer ploughs the path up and fails to reinstate it within the required 14 days. He then goes on to sow his crops across the line of the path which in time means the walker has difficulty use the path.
To be fair to the Rights of Way Officers at County Hall the have prosecuted some farmers on this matter in the past, but there are still isolated cases occurring. Some landowner will put barbed wire across gates and stiles so as to block a path. It has also been known for gates to be padlocked so as to reduce accessibility to the countryside!

The blocking of a footpath by vegetation can range from some stiles needing hedges trimmed to a whole section of a path needing major work to remove tree and plant growth.
In the case of the latter few walkers would be equipped for such work even if the required work was pre-planned.

That being said some members of the Ramblers’ Association have, for many years and in conjunction with Staffordshire County Council, volunteered their time to help on all footpath work. Naturally health and safety have to be carefully considered when such work is being planned and most RA volunteers have attended County Council safety training courses.

Finally...

Putting it as simply as I can, the general public will not venture into the countryside unless the footpath network is free of obstructions and easy to use. The prize for this investment will be an increase in the social and economic well being for all who live in the county, and just a better place to live!

Graham Evans, Chairman of Stafford Area Ramblers' Association

**

Find out more about the The Ramblers' Association website - a charity working for walkers:

People can find out more about Footpath campaigns via this link below. There is also an easy way to report obstructed or unusable paths...