Countryside Access Charging Policy - Public Path Furniture

Section 3 - Principles of this Policy

Reduced funding means that the Countryside Access team is not able to continue to work in the same way as previously, funding the supply and installation of furniture across the PROW network on behalf of the landowner in almost all cases.

There is a need for a coherent policy for supplying furniture and/or materials to a landowner, and for when a landowner should be charged for work undertaken by the Authority on their behalf. Introducing an approved policy of cost recovery for installing furniture on the PROW network will allow us to provide clear and consistent guidelines to landowners.

The decision to move to a policy of charging for furniture is in line with the Highways Act 1980. Delivery of the policy will assist in achieving ‘Least Restrictive Access’ across Carmarthenshire’s PROW network, a policy contained in our Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) 2019-2029. Numerous ROWIP Actions will also be supported by the policy including network maintenance, improvement, and accessibility.

This policy has the potential to increase capacity within the service by generating additional income which could fund more furniture across the County, opening more routes to the public.
The parameters of this policy will require the service to keep standard furniture stock and equipment rather than the range currently held. This has the potential to increase capacity within the service by reducing expenditure on holding varied stock as currently.

These are the parameters in which we will now generally work subject to periodical review to take account of any financial changes, variations in National or Local Authority policy and/or changes to the legal and statutory framework covering PROW.