Birmingham
With some solid campaigning and lobbying work, local walkers in Birmingham managed to map the footpaths in their city, thus helping to protect these paths from development or obstruction and ensuring walkers can continue to enjoy them for shortcuts, pleasant strolls or commutes.
In 1988 the City of Birmingham Ramblers began to campaign for the need of a definitive map, following the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The City of Birmingham Council took the stance that a definitive map was not appropriate in Birmingham and other highly developed areas and that it would cost £450,000.
The Footpath Secretary for the City of Birmingham Ramblers was Fred Willits who began to detail the many paths in the city, to identify which might be public rights of way. In November 2000 Robert Hunt, the Chair of the group, began a postcard campaign directed at the City of Birmingham councillors, which was repeated in March 2003.
In May 2004 a Local Access Forum was set up by the council with Birmingham Ramblers involved as members. The Forum determined the importance of a definitive map and agreed to recommend this course of action to the council. The council then produced a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) in which it acknowledged its requirement to produce a definitive map and detailed costs at £100,000 pa.
As an aid to the council claims were submitted for as many pre 1949 paths as could be identified. In practice this is the process for adding paths to the definitive map (claims that a path is a public right of way are made to the council for assessment - see here for more information). The Warwickshire Area Footpath Secretary for the Birmingham Ramblers, Steven Walsgrove undertook the lengthy task of undertaking all the research involved. Members of the Birmingham Group have surveyed the paths ‘on the ground’. This led to 130 footpaths being 'claimed', i.e. applications for paths to be added to the definitive map were made to the council, by local Ramblers and local residents.
The council voted £110,000 pa from the capital programme for the production of a Definitive Map for Birmingham. The first path was added - an urban path in the Perry Barr area of the City.
The result is not only is there a definitive map, i.e. a legal record of the existence of public paths in Birmingham, the Ramblers have also developed an excellent working relationship with the council, who have since recruited other officers to maintain the definitive map and protect footpaths.
Return to the Put London on the Map main campaign page
here
