Every day, Ramblers expert staff and dedicated volunteers work hard to protect and maintain our precious rights of way network. However, management practices in the highway authorities responsible for these paths, coupled with drastic budget cuts, are threatening our rights of way network like never before.
Please make a donation of whatever you can afford to support our appeal and help stop the deterioration of the very network we have fought so hard to protect and expand.
Since the 1990s, more and more authorities have adopted 'priority systems' which allocate paths to categories according to their use, popularity and strategic importance to the network. These systems dictate the way that problems reported on the routes are dealt with – or, as is too often the case, neglected. Failing priority systems are a problem in themselves, but combined with the huge budget cuts which rights of way departments are facing as the authorities try to save money, suddenly the threat of rationalisation by neglect looms large over our path network.
We are beginning to see a process scarily reminiscent of Dr Beeching’s rationalisation of the railways, putting smaller, local routes at risk as they are branded unimportant. While the Ramblers recognises the need to spend money in a way that best delivers path maintenance and improvement, many of the prioritisation systems are failing – systems like Cornwall’s Gold, Silver and Bronze ratings have threatened huge sections of the path network with total neglect. Issues reported on paths rated as less important are being ignored, consigning many paths to the scrapheap, and once a path has been categorised it can be difficult to get it moved to another category, even if the initial assessment was wrong. Parishes and Communities which once had an extensive network of useable paths are now seeing their network dwindle as scarce resources are concentrated on even fewer paths.
Our path network has been threatened by rationalisation in the past. In the notorious 1991 Ombersley case, the then County of Hereford and Worcester made an order which would have closed 100 paths. Whilst these closures were supposedly balanced against a path creation order which would have created 117 new routes, it was almost impossible to understand which new paths were intended to replace the old ones. As a result, it was unclear whether many of the paths proposed for closure would have been replaced, or replaced satisfactorily. Only a concerted effort by the Ramblers and other objectors at a public inquiry saw off this legally unsound attempt at rationalisation. Having defeated this ham-fisted attempt at ‘legal rationalisation’ we simply cannot allow rationalisation to happen by a process of prioritisation and neglect.
We are the last line of defence for our rights of way network, and we must make our voice heard. With the Ramblers’ unique combination of powerful national voice and detailed local knowledge, we have a real chance to make a difference. But without your help, we simply don’t have the resources we need to face the issue of rationalisation by neglect head on.
It is down to us to raise awareness of the threat posed to our path network and to ensure that it is given the attention it deserves in the upcoming general election. A donation from you would help us to lead the fight against rationalisation by neglect, and challenge the failing prioritisation systems in operation – preventing even more paths being lost or written off. It would help us provide support to our local Areas and Groups in their fight against the threat of budget cuts, to give them the power to take action where local authorities are unable to. Any support you can give us today would enable us to repair some of the damage that has already been done and prevent it from spreading further into the network. It could prevent you losing the very paths you value the most.
We want Britain to be a place where walking is easy and accessible to all. Our precious path network is at the very heart of this aim.
Please give whatever you can afford today to help protect it and support our fight against the very real danger of rationalisation by neglect.
How to donate:
Website: Visit the Make a Donation page
Post - Please send cheques / postal orders / CAF vouchers (made payable to the Ramblers' Association) to:
Adrian Morris Beeching Appeal
Ramblers' Association
FREEPOST SE15
London SE1 7BR
GIFT AID IT! If you are posting a cheque, please print out this Gift Aid declaration and send it with your donation. Alternatively, we have an online form. This lets us claim an extra 28% of your donation from the Inland Revenue at no extra cost to you!
Telephone - Please call 020 7339 8500 to make a credit or debit card donation
Thank you for your support.
