Agenda item 4. Appendix 1

Brighton & Hove Local Access Forum

Chairman’s Report for the Meeting13HMay 2010

1. Transport Partnership

The aim of the Transport Section of the Sustainable Community Strategy is to create: ‘The best means of sustainable travel for all’ (my definition)

I have attendedthe meetings on 23rd, March. Meaningful progress continues to be slow. We covered: Strategy update, Urban Challenge Fund initiative which might provide additional funds. This was not initially supported by the Chairman/Conservative administration but the meeting supported this. A ‘workshop’ session took place to focus on ‘input’ for the Local Transport Plan

(LTP3). Next meeting 24th May.

2. Rights of Way Improvement Plan (RoWIP)

(See Agenda 8. and Appendix 2&3)

There should be time on the Agenda to acquaint new members with the RoWIP (this can be seen via the B&H LAF Web page.)

A meeting of the LAF RoW Working Group took place on 20 April (see Appendix 2)

Please look at the‘Missing Links, 6th revised edition, December 2009 (Appendix 3) as we will be discussing priorities for 2010/11.

3. Report back onSouth DownsAccess Forummeeting09-04-10

1. The meeting (and AGM) was held at Iford Village Hall near Lewes.

2. A site visit took place at nearby Breaky Bottom (in East Sussex)in the morning. This was to look at the owners request to renew restriction on access to the AccessLand at this site. The owner and his partner gave us a brief outline of his small holding and the problems he saw with the Access Area. We then viewed the area and returned to Iford.

3. After lunch the formal meeting was opened and an informed discussion now took place regarding the earlier site visit. A consensus was reached that; most of the site should remain ‘open access’ and fencing provided to guard the chalk pit at one end of the site. This would be sent to Natural England.

4. James Ort the SDAF secretary updated the meeting on:

4.1 The Open Access Mapping Project, which will provide detailed access arrangements to several existing prominent Access Areas. Information on these sites would soon be available ‘on-line’

4.2 The Rights of Way Improvement Plan Spreadsheet. Some recording had been carried in co-operation with West Sussex.

4.3 An information leaflet Exploring the South Downs by Bus and Train from Seaford had been produced by forum member Pat Neal.

5. Discussion took place on; RoW Responsibilities in the South DownsNational Park. Most members felt this would be best continued by the SDNPA. However what ever arrangements are instigated it was felt important that the NPA and Local Authorities work together to achieve the highest possible standards for RoW across the NP.

6. Liz Ballard led a discussion on Working Towards a South DownsNational Park Local Access Forum. With some reluctance members conceded the existing ‘SDAF’ should end to make a clean break (not least because the current secretary was leaving and would not be replaced). Liz proposed a ‘sounding board’ of existing forum members including a representative from each of the LAF’s be formed to advise the SDNPA as it establishes its own formal LAF to be fully operational by April/May 2011. This was agreed.

7. Hugo Blomfield was due to present; StanmerPark – A Gateway to the South Downs? Unfortunately as the meeting had already overrun its time this did not take place.

8. Thanks were expressed to James Ort who had been secretary to the SDLAF for five years.

David

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