Service Standards

The Service We Provide

The Rights of Way Team has a duty to define, maintain and promote our 400 kilometre long network of paths. There are around 1,000 stiles and gates on our routes, as well as hundreds of bridges and signposts and we maintain all of them. We have a large list of volunteers - our Adopt a Path Wardens - who help us keep an eye on our often remote network of paths and tell us when things need fixing.

You should find our paths easy to use and many are now promoted as a Doorstep Walk or Ride or an Easy Going Trail (designed for families and the less able). Our Rights of Way Improvement Plan sets out a ten-year programme of works and ideas and many of the recommendations within have come from local people.

The Service You Can Expect

We pride ourselves on providing a first rate service with a consistently high quality of routes that are easy to use.

• A network of paths free from permanent obstructions.
• A year on year increase in the availability of paths accessible to all level of user, especially those with young families and those using wheelchairs.
• A commitment to provide everyone in the borough with a local, easy to use, easy to follow walk.

The Service We Achieve

• The Rights of Way Team is consistently within the upper quartile nationally for BVPI 178 "Ease of Use of Rights of Way" in metropolitan or borough councils. Our performance has been consistently high.
• A commendation from the Campaign to Protect Rural England for our "distinguished contribution to the protection or enhancement of the countryside".
• A successful Local Access Forum comprised of local people, including farmers and landowners as well as walkers, horse riders, cyclists and people with disabilities, who have control of a significant portion of our budget. The forum empowers local people to deliver results where and how they want them, and guide us on how they want access to develop in years to come.