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The JLAF is a statutory body established by the three councils shown above, to
provide advice as to the improvement of public access to land in the area
of Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol City and South Gloucestershire for
the purposes of open-air recreation and enjoyment of the area. Its views
do not necessarily represent those of the three councils.
The JLAF website has been designed to be accessible to all
users and complies with the following standards:
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Welcome to the JLAF Website
This is the website of the Joint Local
Access Forum for Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol City and South
Gloucestershire (the "JLAF").
The Joint Local Access Forum (the "JLAF")
is an independent statutory group that advises on access to the outdoors in Bath & North East
Somerset, Bristol City and South Gloucestershire. There are 21 voluntary members
of the JLAF representing users, landowners and other interests (e.g. those of
disabled people) who advise the Councils and other organisations in the area.
This website contains information of
particular interest to the members of the JLAF, but it can hopefully provide a
useful resource to others. Please explore this website. Find
out more about the JLAF, read the latest
news relevant to the JLAF, or see what's been happening at JLAF
meetings and when the next meeting is. If you are interested in what
you find, consider whether you'd like to get involved - come to a meeting, join
the list of observers, or apply
to become a member of the JLAF. Use the menu to the left for
more. If you have any comments or suggestions, please
contact us.
Also on this page: Latest News, Actions
for JLAF Members
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JLAF Calendar: coming up
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Latest News (most recent additions first)
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| 24NOV09:
The Draft
Minutes of the JLAF19 meeting on 6th November have been
published. They are 'draft' until agreed at the next full JLAF
meeting.
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19NOV09:
Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (this summary is from Defra's
Access Newsletter)
On 12 November 2009 the Marine and Coastal Access Bill received Royal Assent and became
an Act of Parliament. The Act helps fulfil the Government’s 2005 election manifesto
commitments to: (1) introduce a new marine management framework, based on marine
spatial planning – which aims to balance conservation, energy and resource needs; and (2)
improve access to the English coast.
Part 9 of the Marine and Coastal Access (MCA) Act 2009 introduces new powers to extend
public recreational access to the English coast. Its provisions place a duty on the Secretary of
State and Natural England to secure, as far as possible, a continuous, signed and managed
long distance route and wider spreading room which will be accessible on foot. To achieve
this, the Act amends existing legislation – namely the National Parks and Access to the
Countryside Act 1949 and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
A paper explaining how the coastal access provisions will work is available
here on Defra’s
web-site
Further information and key background documents relating to the history of the MCA
Bill are here on the Defra website.
Copies of the MCA Act are available here
on the Office for Public Sector Information website.
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| 19NOV09:
As the Marine And Coastal Access Act 2009 is passed, Natural England
have launched a consultation on the Coastal Access Scheme, the
methodology by which Coastal Land will be opened for access. The
deadline is the 5th February 2010. The JLAF
received a summary email on this consultation, and there is a consultation
page on the Natural England website with a summary, a link to an
online form for submitting responses and the very detailled
document. The JLAF has established a working group to consider
this consultation, and members of that group will receive more detailed
information, and paper copies of the documents separately. Any
other members who wish to get involved can contact the secretary, or
respond to the consultation on an individual basis.
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| 19NOV09:
Defra have published issue
42 of their Access Newsletter.
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| 19NOV09:
The JLAF have received a
letter about the Forest of Avon. Forest of Avon Partnership
ended on the 31st October 2009. The body has been responsible for
carrying out landscape, woodland and access improvements in its area
(Bristol and its surrounds). A new organisation, the Forest of
Avon Trust has been established to continue some work in this
area.
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| 19NOV09:
The JLAF have received an email about a programme of work by the British
Heart Foundation, reviewing the Physical Activity Guidelines in the
UK. More information can be found at http://www.bhfactive.org.uk/
or you can register for email updates on this programme at http://bhf.mosaic-digital.co.uk/.
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Check for older news...
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Outstanding Actions for JLAF Members
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02OCT09:
JLAF MEMBER ACTION by 26th October 2009.
Following a short consultation with the JLAF last month, Natural England
are now carrying out a Statutory Review of the Access Land Restriction
at Barn Field, Upper Chelscombe near Bath. This is known as Statutory
Review Case 2009050241. This consultation will close on 4th November
2009. Please see the consultation
notice and plan.
Please also see the Natural
England website where this information also appears.
In accordance with statutory guidance, Natural England has a duty to:
• review directions of a long-term character no later than their fifth
anniversary; and
• revoke or vary directions where necessary.
Under CROW section 27(3) the relevant authority (Natural England) must
review, at least every five years, any direction it has given that
restricts access indefinitely; for part of every year; for part of each
of six or more consecutive calendar years; or for a specified period of
more than five years.
During the review the relevant authority must, having regard to the
interest of the public in having access to the land, consider whether
the restriction is still necessary for its original purpose; and if so,
whether the extent and nature of the restriction is still appropriate
for the original purpose.
JLAF Members: If you wish to add anything to a response you might
have previously made regarding Barn Field, please send it to me by the
27th October. This consultation will close on 4th November 2009,
but please send contributions to the JLAF responses by the 27th October
to be compiled.
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Archived Actions for JLAF Members
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02OCT09:
JLAF MEMBER ACTION by 9th October 2009.
REGIONAL LAF CONFERENCE TUESDAY, 20th OCTOBER 2009
From Hilary Winter, SW LAF Co-ordinator: Our regional event this year
will be at the Genesis Centre, Somerset College of Arts and Technology,
Taunton. I very much hope each LAF will be represented by three or four
members and your Secretary will soon have booking forms and a full
programme for the day. Keynote speaker for the day, Terry Robinson, Head
of People and Access Policy, Natural England, will be giving a
presentation on Natural England’s Access and Recreation Policy and the
role of LAFs.
Workshop subjects will be on:
· Involving LAFs and local people in the coastal access implementation
process.
· Local Transport Plan 3 – the role of RoWIPs and the LAF.
· The health agenda and LAFs.
· Sustrans – implementation of regional policy and working more
effectively with LAFs.
It should be a useful day with opportunities to learn about key topics
for LAFs and, importantly, to network with other LAF members from across
the region.
JLAF Members: please contact the Secretary by the 9th October if they
wish to attend this day. Please bear in mind that places are
limited so this is a request for an expression of interest and
availability.
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| 15SEP09:
JLAF MEMBER ACTION BY 5th October 2009: The JLAF has received a letter
from South Gloucestershire Council. The letter proposes a
Gating Order at Kipling Road, Filton, and includes a draft Order, as
well as maps and some evidence. The JLAF, as well as other
consultees such as local residents, have until the 14th October to
respond to this consultation. If the Council should proceed with
the proposal, the JLAF will be formally notified when a Gating Order is
made. The JLAF now have a Position
Statement on Gating Orders, agreed at the last meeting, which will
be submitted as part of a JLAF response. If JLAF Members have
anything to add to this statement, either applying to this particular
case, or to the general principle of gating orders, please submit them
to the JLAF Secretary by Monday the 5th October 2009.
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31JUL09:
JLAF MEMBER ACTION BY 14SEP09:
The Forestry Commission have contacted
all Local Access Forums in England as part of their consultation: 'The
Long-term Role of the Public Forest Estate in England'.
This consultation is part of a study to: 'consider the future long term
sustainable role for the public forest estate making recommendations
about any necessary changes to improve its ability to deliver relevant
priorities in the Strategy for England's Trees Woods and Forests and
contribute to other government objectives'
There is a consultation
page on the Forestry Commission website, and there are two key
documents:
- The consultation document itself: The
Long-term Role of the Public Forest Estate in England (4Mb PDF
file, 76xA4 pages)
- The consultation
response form (553Kb interactive PDF file, 22xA4 pages)
JLAF members can request paper copies of these documents from the JLAF
Secretary.
The JLAF intends to make a response to this consultation. JLAF
Members: please send your views on this consultation to the JLAF
Secretary by Monday 14th September, who will compile them as a JLAF
response. It would be helpful if you could format your responses
using the Forestry Commission's response form - though this is not
essential.
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At the JLAF meeting on the 6th March, members were shown two locations
where gating of public rights of way have been proposed. This is
reflected in the draft minutes of the
meeting. There are also details in the background papers for
that meeting on the same page.
One location was in Filton, South Gloucestershire where a formal Gating
Order had been made. The other location was Public Right of Way No. 163
from Oldbury Court Road to Vassall Road in Fishponds.
As the JLAF is a statutory consultee once a Gating Order is made (though
this proposal is prior to that process) the JLAF will be responding to
this consultation. As agreed at the JLAF meeting on the 6th March,
please will you consider this proposal and respond this time by email to
Ron Phelps, the Deputy Chairman of the
JLAF by the 5th May 2009. Ron will then collate the responses he
receives, drawing together any consensus that emerges in JLAF Members'
responses.
In responding to this consultation, you may also want to consider a
document prepared by the JLAF Chairmen and sent to the Councils in
January, outlining issues
that Councils should consider when considering making Gating Orders.
If Bristol City Council resolves to make a Gating Order at this site,
the JLAF will be consulted again.
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| Added
27MAR09: The Draft Minutes for the
JLAF17 meeting held on the 6th March have been published. JLAF
Members please review the actions in these minutes.
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Added
11MAR09:
A selection of websites was introduced to JLAF members at the meeting on
the 6th March,
for members to review, then comment on.
We are looking for features or content that you think would be
particularly appropriate for an Outdoors Access Website in the JLAF
area, or to be linked from such a website, particularly where they would
improve the management of the PROW network, or contribute to the ROWIP
Vision of Increasing Use of the Network..
The examples are:
"Places
to go in South-West England" on the Forestry Commission Website
The "Outdoor NI"
(Northern Ireland) network of websites, including:
"Walk NI" and
"Where
to Ride"
Nottinghamshire County Council's "Countryside
access and conservation" webpages
"Get
Walking in Wessex" on the National Trust's Website
"Bikely.com",
an international cycle route website owned by Future Publishing in Bath
"Walking
World.com"
"Interactive
Mapping" on Somerset County Council's Public Rights of Way
website
Please also search on the internet for walks, rides and other relevant
details FOR THIS AREA, and report back on what you found, and how easy
it was to find it. Please send your comments to: secretary@jlaf.org.uk
Thank you.
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| Added
11FEB09: The Agenda and Background Papers for the next meeting, JLAF17,
on the 6th March have been
published and JLAF Members will receive paper copies in the post in
the next few days. |
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21JAN09: The next JLAF meeting is on the 6th March. JLAF Members,
please propose agenda items to the Secretary by the 30th January 2009. |
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18DEC08: An email has been sent today to all JLAF members about the
National Routes and Trails Consultation, asking members to respond by
the 15th January 2009 (see news item of 10DEC08). Please contact
the secretary with any queries or if you have not received this email. |
| Added
12DEC08: The councils through the Rights of Way
Improvement Plan (ROWIP) are working on the design and use of signs on public
rights of way, and the JLAF is looking at this subject. JLAF Members and
others: please view and comment on the sign
gallery, which shows examples of signs in use, some good practice, some not
so good. |
| Please
review the actions included on the draft
Minutes of the last meeting (JLAF16) held on 7th November 2008. |
The news items on this site are retrieved
from a number of local and national sources. Some material has kindly been
supplied by Hilary Winter, Regional Coordinator SW Region LAFs. If you
wish to submit any suggestions, please
contact us.
Last Updated: 24/11/09
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