Parish Paths Consultation – walkers and riders please have your say

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It’s been 12 years since the last review of the public rights of way network in Somerset – during this time communities have grown and the nature and use of certain paths will have changed. Maintaining the network with limited resources is challenging, but, with the help of several hundred volunteers, Somerset County Council (SCC) continue to ensure that over 80% of the path network is open and easy to use. 

Fivehead Parish Council, in support of the SCC’s Right of Way Team, are reviewing Path Categories and the Vegetation Clearance Schedule in Fivehead and Swell.

We need your help please. 

To do this, please follow these steps:
The paths are best viewed at https://roam.somerset.gov.uk/roam/map. Using this site is very easy: you can zoom in/out; click on a particular path to show information about its category and any vegetation clearance undertaken by SCC. It also shows all reported problems with paths.
The path categories are 
Category 1 paths: These may be paths used by local dog walkers and riders or local utility paths that provide access to local shops, schools and services. They are likely to be used on a daily or frequent basis. They can also include promoted paths that are included in a local walking or riding guide.
Category 2 paths: Those used by your local community occasionally. E.g. they may not be main dog walking or riding routes and are not promoted locally.  
Category 3 paths: These are paths that are rarely used and are of low value by your local community. Paths that fall within this category are likely to be off the beaten track or cul-de-sac paths that don’t lead anywhere.
The ‘Veg Clearance’ layer is switched on by clicking on the Other Layers icon in the top right corner of the screen (Red Box). Find the Veg Clearance Layer in the selection box (Green box) and click on it. The red line in the background of the button will become a lot more vibrant when it is switched on. You will notice the path is highlighted thicker: this could be just a section or the whole path. This represents the section that is cleared by SCC contractors. If you click on the highlighted schedule you will get a new information box appear (Red Box) this allows you to see how many times year the section is currently cut.
The list of paths in Fivehead and Swell with their category and clearance details is also here: Review 2018-19.
If you have any questions/comments/suggestions about path categories or clearance, please email these to fiveheadpc@gmail.com by Saturday 5 January 2019.

Thank you for reading this and in advance for your contribution!