Joint Local Access Forum (JLAF) for Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol City and South Gloucestershire

26MAR13: The draft minutes of the JLAF29 meeting held on the 1st March 2013 have now been published.

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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:

Actions for JLAF Members

NEW
23SEP10: JLAF ACTION: Natural environment: an invitation to shape the nature of England. Please respond by the 18th October 2010.
Defra are consulting in advance of a new White Paper on the natural environment planned for spring 2011. This major consultation has a deadline of 30th October, before the next full JLAF meeting.

Defra's consultation has two parts. The first part is a simple four question form, the second part asks for comments on a discussion document. These questions are all compiled in this document. In order that the JLAF can make a response, can you please consider the questions then email them to the secretary who will compile a response on behalf of the JLAF. Please email your responses to the secretary by Monday, the 18th October. The secretary will then submit a JLAF response, which will also be reported to the next JLAF meeting on the 5th November.

All of the original documentation to review, and further details if you wish to make your own individual response, are on Defra's website.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Last updated: 18/11/2010