Notes of the meeting of The Ridgeway Forum, Wednesday 26 May 2010 ...

Notes of the meeting of The Ridgeway Forum, Wednesday 26 May 2010
Court Hill Centre, Wantage
Present:
Richard Broadhead, Wiltshire Council
Margaret Caddick, National Trails
Ray Clayton, Ramblers Association
Elaine Cox, West Berkshire Council
Oliver Cripps, North Wessex Downs AONB
Mike Fox, Chiltern Society/Chiltern Conservation Board
Gordon Garraway, Campaign to Protect Rural England
PC 1016 Russell Hounslow, Thames Valley Police
PC Darren Jones, Thames Valley Police
Jos Joslin, National Trails
PC 4555 Ian Kent, Thames Valley Police
PC Steven Lynch, Thames Valley Police
Anne Newson, Natural England
Hugh Potter, Oxfordshire County Council
Clayton Rae, Dacorum Borough Council
Ian Ritchie, Friends of the Ridgeway
Steven Tabbitt, National Trails
PS Georgia Tait, Thames Valley Police
Dave Tilbury, LARA
Elaine Townson, National Trails
Troth Wells, British Horse Society
John Wheeler, National Farmers Union
1. Apologies for absence: Patrick Norris Great Western Community Forest; Rachel Ind, Swindon
Borough Council; Janice Bridger British Horse Society Annette Venters, Chilterns Conservation
Board; Sarah Watts Wiltshire Police; John Bordiss, Wiltshire Police; Mike Walker,
Buckinghamshire County Council; Keith Wheal, Oxfordshire County Council
2. Notes and Matters arising: Notes of the meeting in 2010 were agreed. Gordon Garraway
thanked West Berkshire for replacing the large signs on The Ridgeway with smaller signs.
3. Policing The Ridgeway: Police representatives for Thame sector (Chinnor, Britwell Salome)
along with Neighbourhood Team gave their reports. The key issues in this area are illegal
poaching, including poaching deer on farmland, hare coursing and illegal use by 4x4’s. There
have been successful arrests made with regards to poaching and farmland theft. To cut down
access by 4x4’s, concrete blocks have been installed at access points to The Ridgeway near
junction 6 of the M40. Working with partners they are pressing ahead with initiatives to stop
instances of fly tipping across the 100 square miles they cover.
The Neighbourhood Scheme, Wantage, covers Bury Down to Ashbury, including Scutchamer’s
Knob and the White Horse. PC Steven Lynch and PC Darren Jones cover for Blewbury, Upton,

Harwell and the Hendreds. Operation Migrate deals with rural theft and issues of concern within
the rural community. When the hunting ban was created in 2004, instances of hare coursing
initially fell, and then gradually became worse and by 2007 the perception by the rural
community was that these offences were not taken seriously and landowners were dissatisfied
with the service by the police. Operation Migrate was then relaunched. There are Migrate days
held between September and February, which is hare coursing season. These are one-day
sessions with 3 4x4’s plus West Berkshire. There are two landowner meetings a year, with
discussions about rural crime and those crimes associated with hare coursing - vehicles running
over crops, burgling of farms and use of red diesel. There is now a working system of
prosecution and arrest for rural crime, and the police are mapping out the landownership in the
Vale. Charges include substantial fines, being banned from Oxfordshire for up to 5 years and
instances of vehicles seen on site being seized immediately. If the offenders are not caught ‘in
the field’ charges may be brought against them for associated crimes such as for illegal vehicle
use - no tax, insurance, etc. Over 2 years there have been 55 arrests.
Operation Midge is specifically targeted towards raves. This operation has necessitated
educating officers in the issues and indicators of activity, for example theft from hospitals of
nitrous oxide canisters and large sales of water. Police have been working with landowners and
the Civilian Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) along with Intel monitoring the internet for tip offs
about the occurrence of raves in an area. The high-risk locations have been mapped out –
Scutchamer’s Knob, Waylands Smithy, Foxhill, Bury Down. Members of the rural community
have been told that, as the Police Superintendent on duty may well be based in Milton Keynes,
it is crucial that they phone immediately to report the disturbance, and if a substantial number of
calls are received this will ensure that the disruption is taken note of and immediate action taken
to shut down the rave. There is a designated phone number to use for reporting raves but a 999
call must be made for incidences of hare coursing.
Future commitment: There is a determination in neighbourhood policing to deliver services to
the rural community and the team on the ground is committed to this. There are, however, some
resource issues. In the past the team had a dedicated 4x4 but, due to cuts, this resource has
been lost and some 4x4 capability is now shared. This is seen as a temporary and minor glitch,
which will in future be resolved.
Illegal use of the Trail: There are more complaints about motorbikes than 4x4 in Thame sector.
DT asked how vehicles are differentiated from the count figures. It was explained that the
counters could only distinguish between bicycles, motorbike, cars and heavy vehicles but that
manual verification of the counters occurs on occasions and landowners have been contacted
to establish their level of use.
GG asked whether there was printed information on the laws for motorised vehicle use on
restricted byways for volunteer monitors to hand out to those people who are seen riding
motorbikes or driving 4x4’s on The Ridgeway. MC said there is a leaflet which does need
updating and that volunteers are usually kept informed through the volunteer newsletter.
National Trails Team do not encourage volunteers to stop people, but to feed back information
eg number plates, to the office, which is then passed to the police. If someone has been
reported riding illegally, in the first instance a neighbourhood team visit to advise them as often
people are unaware that it is illegal. Volunteers play a useful part in the monitoring process.

During the winter the National Trails Team has been feeding monitors’ reports on illegal driving
on The Ridgeway through to Wiltshire Constabulary, based in Marlborough and Swindon.
4. Questions on report from National Trails Manager (Route Management):
- In the problem sites in Wiltshire there has been a significant reduction in illegal use but it is
increasing a little at a site in West Berkshire. NFU representative John Wheeler reported that
a group of 12 motorbike riders from the Swindon area use The Ridgeway as a link from
green road to green road between Court Hill and Sparsholt Firs. PC Darren James, who
looks after this section, noted this.
- Resting places are on The Ridgeway agenda as a future project with use of natural materials
and/or recycled plastic being considered.
- RW asked that it was recorded that Pete Blyth did excellent work during Margaret Caddick’s
maternity leave.
5. TRO’s and Surface Condition: Highway Authority Representatives:
- West Berkshire: In 2005 a lot of money was invested in The Ridgeway and since then the
annual survey takes place to maintain the surface standard by regular small investment of
around £10,000/year. There has been significant damage by landowners above East Ilsley
which is to be restored, and ST has discussed this with the landowner. Concrete bollards
have been put in place at Bury Down car park to stop HGVs from parking there overnight.
Horseboxes and trailers should still have access. Later this year Kent Carriage gaps will be
installed. The gate from the A34, which gives access for 2 mobile phone companies, is
repeatedly vandalised but has been repaired again.
- Oxfordshire: The annual condition survey picked up damage at Ashbury, and smaller
improvement works are being undertaken elsewhere. In the coming
year drainage at Kingston Blount and near the Buckinghamshire border will be undertaken.
No large works are going ahead in the coming year, just tweaking and making minor
improvements.
- Wiltshire: There had been a report by PC Sarah Watts (Marlborough) that there was a lot of
illegal use by vehicles around Hackpen Hill the weekend after the TRO finished. Extensive
repair work on the section between Snap and Upper Upham took place but initially this was
not well received as dark stone, which gave the appearance of a tarmac road, covered the
chalk. The surface did look harsh when it was first laid but is likely to mellow with time.
Further works are likely in the area this year.
Works need to be done at the eastern end of Smeathe’s Ridge. If the conditions are dry
enough, ST will organise these repairs. Barbury Castle track needs work on it; road planings
will be used for this. Money and weather permitting, work is to be done on the section of The
Ridgeway between Barbury Castle and Hackpen Hill.
The archaeological survey of The Ridgeway in the World Heritage Site is complete with Iron
Age and Roman field systems discovered near to the surface. There has been a consensus
of opinion to make repairs to make the route safe and the finds of the archaeological survey
will inform this decision. There may be a period of closure to vehicles during repair time
which is likely to raise the issue of an all-year TRO in this location. However, the level of
vehicular use has come down and a TRO may not be justifiable in future purely on damage
grounds.

Wiltshire is working with the WHS Officer and others to improve the Overton Hill car parking
area. There are reports of travellers here but there are legal issues about the definitive line
of The Ridgeway in this area which makes tackling the problem more difficult. The mapping
team does not have the resources at the moment to tackle this issue.
MC: it is hard to identify the level of works until a report looking at what is required to
accommodate vehicles, walkers and cyclists is done.
6. Questions on report from National Trails Manager (Marketing & Projects): There were
no questions.
7. NE update including Review of National Trails: The Natural England review took place
during 2008-09. There were recommendations on how NE can better deliver NTs: better
team working; 3 year grant offers; and a recommendation that officers play a part in other
long distance paths In late June there will be an NE staff workshop to look at the way
forward.
This is a difficult time for funding and the Government is making £6 billion savings, so there
is a drive towards efficiency which will affect all NT’s. NE values NT’s highly for delivering
access to the countryside but reductions will have to be made. The next phase will be about
improving performance/efficiency, driven by the review and the current economic situation
and will be rolled out later this summer.
RB: There are rumours that the funding for coastal access will be cut. Will NE make
representations that some of this money be used for NTs? This was supported by the
Forum. Action: AN to pass this request to senior NE colleagues
IR: Each Trail has different needs. The ‘life cycle’ model is not helpful for The Ridgeway or
the Thames Path which are established Trails. The Thames Path is subject to flooding and
The Ridgeway has costly surface and drainage needs. The idea that established Trails do
not require funding is erroneous.
JJ: Lobbying may be needed if the budget cuts are unreasonable in the future.
Landowner meetings: There were 2 meetings planned last year. The one in the western
section, Wantage, was cancelled but the eastern section meeting, in Chinnor, took place.
Although this meeting was useful, it was decided that in future landowners would be
approached individually by advisors of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme. Maps of the
The Ridgeway which had surface damage had been given to NE colleagues so advisors will
check when visiting relevant landowners and Countryside Stewardship renewals will include
Ridgeway issues.
DT: Single farm payments require rights of way to be in good condition for cross-compliance.
This is used in both Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire and the southwest has set up a
monitoring group also.
NE has installed a tap at Aston Rowant National Trust near The Ridgeway Action: AN to
supply the NT office the grid reference and see if a horse trough can be installed. NT office
to sign tap from The Ridgeway

8. Presentation: North Wessex Downs AONB (OC):
The presentation about initiatives in the North Wessex Downs AONB was given and
discussion followed.
Question re 1SW off road cycle project:
RB: Wiltshire has many cycle routes which are not forest-based sites. If they are not
included, this would be a missed opportunity for routes in the area which local authorities
cannot fund.
OC: The grading of the routes online will include the whole of the southwest area, working
towards the scheme being as broad as possible.
9. Update on the Great Stones Way (IR): The feasibility study has been made and seemed to
be pushing on open doors. Full of historic interest, it will build on existing rights of way and
hopefully will be open by the middle of next year. Replacement of stiles and surface works
will cost in the region of £66,000.
10. Any Other Business
- DT –The Motoring Organisations' Land Access and Recreation Association, has developed
a Forum to bring together regional and small national associations, independent promoters,
companies within the motor and motor sport industry, interested individuals, and the media.
The LARA Forum will initially meet three times a year, and will receive reports on current
issues from LARA’s officers.
- The Chiltern Cycle way has been developed and will be launched on 18 June. This new 170
mile (274 km) circular route in the Chilterns, links attractions, market towns and places of
interest. The route is on-road, mostly on quiet lanes, mostly in the Chilterns AONB and will
be clearly signposted. It will intersect with The Ridgeway and circular routes.
Date and venue of next meeting TBC