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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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| 04JUL09:
The next meeting of the JLAF is at 2pm on the 3rd July 2009 in
Keynsham. This meeting is held in public. The
papers have now been published on this website and JLAF members will
receive copies in the post in the next few days.
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| 03JUN09:
Defra, the government department, has written a letter to all Local
Access Forums (LAFs) to outline a few to the Statutory Guidance on
LAFs. The
letter outlines the changes, and can be inserted into the 2007
guidance, or the revised
2009 Guidance is available in its entirety.
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| 03JUN09:
Essex
Local Access Forum have written to Suffolk LAF on the subject of the
severance of public rights of way by major roads, where the major roads
are too busy to cross safely, where it is physically not possible to
cross or where paths become dead ended through legal
extinguishment. Essex LAF wanted to express support for Suffolk
LAF's lobbying of the Highways Agency on this matter.
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| 03JUN09:
The Marine and Coastal Access Bill is currently being debated
in the House of Lords, shown on the parliament website. The current
text of the Bill is here and an overview
of the Bill which would introduce a new right of access to the coast
is on the Defra website.
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| 27MAY09:
"Put your best foot forward on Get Walking Day this Saturday, 30
May. The day is an opportunity for thousands of people to enjoy a short,
free introductory walk with the Ramblers. There is a Get Walking Day
walk taking place in the Cam Valley which everyone is welcome to join.
Full details of the walk are on
the Ramblers website."
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| 18MAY09:
A meeting arranged for the Chairs of Local Access Forums from the South
West of England was held on the 12th May in Taunton. Ray Newbigin
attended as the Chairman of the JLAF. The notes
of the meeting have now been published. At that meeting, an
election took place where Ray Newbigin was appointed to attend the
England
Access Forum, on behalf of the SW England Region, along with Paul
Heal, Chairman of Somerset LAF.
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Check for more news... |
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.
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Actions for JLAF Members
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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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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. |
| Added
21JAN09: The next JLAF meeting is on the 6th March. JLAF Members,
please propose agenda items to the Secretary by the 30th January 2009. |
| Added
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. |
Last Updated: 04/06/09
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