Agenda item

To review the current position and work completed to date maintaining the 46 public rights of way in Blackpool.

Mr John Blackledge, Director of Community and Environmental Services, presented the Public Rights of Way (PRoW) Annual Report. He highlighted that the item had become part of regular reporting to scrutiny following a member of the public raising concerns regarding Footpath 11 in 2021. It had been noted that the Council had a statutory responsibility to ensure that PRoWs were accessible and scrutiny had agreed to undertaken ongoing monitoring of the work taking place.

The Committee was informed that Blackpool had forty-six PRoWs covering a distance of approximately twelve miles. Mr Blackledge reported that the majority of these were in a good condition. However three had been determined to be impassable, this was attributed to them running on private land where engagement with the owners was required to secure their opening.

The largest element of costs in relation to PRoWs was reported as maintenance of the pathways with Mr Blackledge advising that £4k had been spent initially and that the Highways Service had identified ongoing funding within existing budgets. He also reported that the increased use of PRoWs was promoted and that they formed an important element of the Active Lives agenda.

Ongoing Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and issues caused by littering had been experienced in respect of Footpath 11 and the Council was therefore considering alterations to the existing route and improvements to how enforcement had been carried out. The Committee noted its concern in relation to incidents of ASB on pathways, and highlighted the risk associated if the Council encouraged more people to use them. Members therefore discussed potential mitigation, such as lighting and CCTV. Mr Neil McArdle, Senior Highways Asset Management Officer, explained that the Council had no obligation to ensure the security of PRoWs. Mr Blackledge added that the installation of lighting and CCTV along all Blackpool’s PRoWs was impractical and that focusing public protection work on areas of the highest risk represented the best use of resources.

The promotion of PRoWs was considered with it being noted that although information on the location and routes was available it was not proactively publicised. The link between different PRoWs was also discussed with Mr Blackledge informing members that work had been undertaken between Highways, Parks and Leisure Services to improve the connections between pathways. Ms Lisa Arnold, Assistant Director, Community and Environmental Services (Community and Wellbeing), also explained that a cycleway around Blackpool using PRoWs had been scoped to determine feasibility and that this would be used to identify and access potential funding opportunities. Mr McArdle added that challenges in this project existed due to the differing nature of each pathway, including access rights and pathway condition.

Members asked that an update be brought to a meeting of the Committee in six-months’ time to report on progress with work on linking up PRoWs in Blackpool.

The Committee agreed: That

1.         The report be noted; and

2.         That an update on progress to improve linkage between public rights of way be brought to a meeting of the Committee in six-months’ time.