Ramblers call for enhanced Rights of Way protection

The Wiltshire Ramblers is calling for greater protection for rights of way across the county, to ensure footpaths remain accessible.

Melksham has one of the most extensive networks of rights of way in Wiltshire, with 106 paths across the parish. Wiltshire Council is responsible for maintaining public rights of way, including footpaths and bridleways, and for ensuring they remain in good condition.

Volunteers from the Wiltshire Ramblers actively help maintain and repair footpaths to ensure safe and accessible routes. They organise regular walks, protect rights of way, and campaign for open access to the countryside.

However, the group says not enough support is being provided by Wiltshire Council to maintain the footpaths – a situation they say has worsened.

The Wiltshire Ramblers focuses on encouraging outdoor walking, promoting respect for the countryside, and advocating for walking rights. Recently, members of the group met with MP Brian Mathew to share their concerns.

“We used to have six-monthly meetings with the manager of the Rights of Way department at Wiltshire Council to discuss issues, but over the years the budget has been cut back again and again, which means fewer staff – so not enough is being done to protect rights of way as they exist,” explained Tim Lewis, area footpath officer of the group.  “The situation has deteriorated, and there seems to be no sign of it improving.”

Tim added that while volunteers do as much maintenance work as they can, the responsibility ultimately lies with the council.

“It is their duty to keep those rights of way accessible, and that is, of course, what the countryside access officer has been appointed to do. There are a large number of volunteers across the county and the Ramblers have tended to be among the most active. It’s a huge number of rights of way to manage, and the staff just isn’t there to do it all. Their work has slowed down considerably,” he said.

Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding, Cllr Martin Smith, said, “We employ a team of six Countryside Access Officers who manage and maintain this network. This team is supported by various contractors and voluntary groups. We highly value the contributions of these voluntary groups, which play a crucial role in maintaining public rights of way.

“The capabilities of these groups vary significantly – some operate independently with minimal support, while others require the presence of a Countryside Access Officer to provide transport and equipment.

“We have an extensive network of approximately 3,700 miles of public rights of way, making it one of the most comprehensive in the country. A recent initiative involves using an app that enables volunteers to survey rights of way and record features such as stiles, gates and bridges. This app will provide valuable data for planning maintenance tasks.”

Pictured: Volunteers tidying a right of way last year