Section 1 - Introduction

User guide

This document has been produced by the County Council as part of its review of the operation and management of the Public Rights of Way network in Hertfordshire. This review was commissioned by the Environment Committee in January 1999 (Agenda Item 4) following the conclusion of the work of a Member Reference Group. The conclusions of the review were put to the Executive Committee of the County Council in January 2001 (Agenda Item 4) who endorsed the new approach.

The new approach is designed to assist the Rights of Way Unit in pursuing its statutory function which can be defined by the main objective:

"That the County Council as Highway Authority seeks through its future investment to assert and protect the rights of the Public by providing a fully open, legally defined and easy to use public rights of way network."

Working within the framework provided by statute and the budget provided by the County Council, work will be prioritised according to the key principles:

  1. Prioritise routes where public safety could be substantially improved
  2. Prioritise routes according to the level of use
  3. Prioritise routes where the County Council’s actions could result in a significant positive impact on the network

The implementation of these principles is supported by the Good Practice Guide and guided by fourteen policies set out in a Statement of Policies (Appendix A).

Purpose

The Good Practice Guide (GPG) is written for officers working for the Rights of Way Unit in Hertfordshire, but could be applied by other officers responsible for rights of way within Hertfordshire and beyond. The Good Practice Guide is intended to serve several purposes.

The standards and guidelines are based on current operation and adopted good practice from other authorities, having regard to the importance of particular Public Rights of Way and to statutory obligations. It is consistent with and has influenced the development of a National Good Practice Guide which was published in September 2000.

Equal Opportunities

This guide has been prepared in line with Hertfordshire County Council's Equalities Policy, "Putting People First". This policy considers equality of opportunity to be a right for all members of its workforce and the community it serves regardless of race, gender, ability or age.

The County Council aims to ensure that physical barriers on the rights of way network are appropriate to the need and where possible facilitate the maximum public access. During the drafting of this guide reference materials have been used and organisations representing people with disabilities consulted to ensure the standards applied comply with current best practice.

Health & Safety

The officers of the rights of way unit and Hertfordshire County Council have a responsibility to operate and promote a safe system of work consistent with the requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and other relevant legislation. This is achieved by operating a system of risk assessments and providing all officers with the training necessary to prevent accidents at work and minimise risk. Health & Safety is a regular item at unit meetings and the risk assessments are under continuous review. Current risk assessments are available to Rights of way staff

Sustainability

Hertfordshire County Council Environment Department has an aim to make Hertfordshire the most sustainable county in the country. It has achieved accreditation to ISO14001(Environmental Management Systems) and monitors all the environmental impacts of its services, with the aim of continuing to improve its environmental performance. The rights of way unit operates under this same system, and as a result imposes a number of additional requirements on contractors and our agents, in order not to compromise our environment, consistent with discharging its statutory function. More details about the Environmental Management System (EMS) can be found here.

Review process

The GPG will be reviewed regularly with the intention to keep it constantly updated. Operational procedures and best practice may change alongside this process, in which case interim updates will be posted on the website.

Availability

The GPG will be freely available on the County Council's website although hard copies may be provided in part as requested. For the avoidance of doubt, contact the Rights of Way Unit for the most up to date version.

Acknowledgements

This manual has been put together by a team from the Environment Management Group of Hertfordshire County Council. The Manual has also been subject to wide consultation prior to its first release in April 2001 and we are very grateful to those who took the time to respond with their comments. A list of consultees can be found in Appendix B.