Under the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act, all
highway authorities must complete Rights of Way Improvement Plans
(ROWIPs) by November 2007. The ROWIP covering the
AONB is being prepared by North Yorkshire County Council.
The ROWIPs must assess:
- the extent to which local rights of way meet the present and
likely future needs of the public;
- the opportunities provided by local rights of way for exercise,
and other forms of outdoor recreation and the enjoyment of the
authorities area;
- the accessibility of local ROW to blind or partially sighted
persons and others with mobility problems.
In order to do this, highway authorities will need to consider
the whole network of non-motorised routes, not just definitive
Rights of Way. They will also need to look at the whole spectrum of
users and journey purposes, from disabled access needs to routes to
open access land.
If members of the public wish to influence the process, or
make suggestions for improvements to local routes they should
contact
Aidan Rayner at
North Yorkshire County Council.