Frequently Asked Questions about PPI : Cumbria County Council

Does PPI take away any responsibilities from Cumbria County Council as the Highway Authority?

PPI is helping with activities initiated by local communities that complement existing Rights of Way management in Cumbria. The scheme does not affect or remove any of the statutory responsibilities of Cumbria County Council as the Highway Authority nor is it intended to replace existing Public Rights of Way (PRoW) initiatives and responsibilities.

How much time do we have to commit?

The level of involvement is up to you. By generating interest about the scheme in your parish you might be able to set up a PRoW group and so get more people involved; this makes it more sociable, fun and helps to share some of the PPI activities.

Do we automatically qualify for a grant by registering with PPI?

If and how much grant money is allocated to your parish will be decided on a case by case basis. Your parish will be invited to sign a PPI partnership agreement, confirming any grant allocation in writing.

The cost of the project we are planning exceeds the grant – can we still apply?

That’s fine as long as you are aware that you will have to find the additional funding from somewhere else. The PPI grant can be used as match funding towards bigger projects so it is well worth exploring if additional grants are available to your parish through other sources.

Where can we get advice on how to secure match funding?

General advice on funding sources is available to parishes from ACT (Action with communities in Cumbria) or CALC (Cumbria Association of Local Councils). Parishes have been successful in the past to secure additional funding for their path projects through the Neighbourhood Forums and the Cumbria Waste Management Environment Trust. Parishes within one of the three AONB’s (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) - Solway Coast AONB, North Pennines AONB and Arnside & Silverdale AONB - have access to the Sustainable Development Fund.

Follow the link to match funding sources for contact details of the various funding sources mentioned above.

Do we need to survey all our parish paths?

It certainly helps to know your parish paths in order to find out where improvements can be made. You might already have a particular path in mind or want to inspect all of them – in any case - to get a clear idea of the present condition you need to have walked, cycled or ridden them! This way you not only find out where there are existing problems like broken stiles or vegetation over growth but you can also collect ideas on where to make improvements. By getting a few people from your parish out on your local path network you might even discover paths you never knew existed!

When is the best time to survey?

Ideally you walk or ride your paths at different times of year to make a full assessment of their condition. In the spring and summer you get a better feel for how overgrown a path becomes and if it might benefit from additional clearance. In the autumn and winter you will be able to better assess the condition of the path surface, especially on wet days and to spot problems that might be hidden by vegetation at other times of the year.

Can we work with neighbouring parishes on a joint project?

Paths often don’t stop at parish boundaries and working with your neighbouring parish(es) is certainly of benefit as you might achieve far more by pooling your resources. We already have some parishes that work successfully together on joint projects

What if we don’t carry out all the work proposed or want to add to it?

Sometimes circumstances change and work can’t be carried out on time, this is no problem but let us know if this likely to happen. You can add or make changes to your work programme later in the year as long as you inform us about it and it has been agreed before any additional work is carried out.

Who can undertake work we might have identified under PPI?

You can employ local contractors to carry out practical works or in some cases the landowner might be willing to carry out some improvement works. It is important that the contractor you choose is aware of the correct specifications for work they carry out on a PRoW. We have a list of approved contractors that we can recommend. Contractors should have the correct level of insurance as well as produce risk assessments for any work they undertake.

Can we get parish volunteers involved in undertaking practical work projects under PPI?

Yes, provided that individuals are physically capable of undertaking practical works and you let us know that this is what you are planning. Initially a group of parish volunteers will be joined by one of our area Rangers to provide guidance and training. If your parish group wants to get involved with practical work on a regular basis we advise you to nominate a ‘group leader’ to be trained in first aid, manual handling and safe use of tools. Training for group leaders can be arranged in-house with the Ranger team. If any machinery is to be purchased and used by a parish volunteer under PPI (for example strimmer/brushcutter) that person needs to receive the relevant training, certification and protective equipment before work can be undertaken (unless the operator already has a valid certificate).

What about landowner consent?

It is up to your parish to consult the landowner/tenant about any activities carried out on their land. In some cases landowners or tenants may have certain issues with PRoW across their land or may have caused obstructions which need to be removed. If there are any issues you are unsure about and you need further advice before contacting landowners please get in touch with the Rangers & Volunteer Officer

We want to produce walks leaflets and/or maps – what do we have to consider?

A leaflet or map is usually the last step after physical improvements to the path network have been made so you have to be confident that the routes you want to promote are in good condition. As a result of promoting those routes they will hopefully be walked more frequently so be prepard to routinely keep an eye them. As with general PRoW surveys it helps to walk or ride your paths at different times of year to make a full assessment of their condition and the need for vegetation clearance. Be aware that you might have to consider OS licensing of maps if these are to be used in your leaflets.