The Countryside Agency wishes to appoint a contractor to give specific advice on the creation and operation of local countryside access forums in England, with particular reference to the way in which this mechanism can be made to operate efficientl...
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Local Countryside Access Forums (NCAF 3/1)

The Countryside Agency wishes to appoint a contractor to give specific advice on the creation and operation of local countryside access forums in England, with particular reference to the way in which this mechanism can be made to operate efficiently, and in harmony with existing local consultative and advisory mechanisms.
 

1. At the last meeting of the National Countryside Access Forum members discussed what local forums would do and how their work should relate to existing consultative arrangements. The minute of the last meeting records the main points raised. Members were offered a further discussion, and sight of a brief for research to inform the preparation of guidelines for local authorities on the creation and management of local forums. The research brief is attached. 

2. The Agency's guidelines will provide the framework for the establishment of local countryside access forums across England. The Forum advised the Agency to generate guidelines which:

i. encourage local authorities to build on existing arrangements for community involvement rather than duplicate them:

ii. encourage co-operation between authorities towards the creation of forums with a geographical coverage appropriate to local circumstances

iii. accommodate the possibility that the role of local forums will change over time, from involvement in strategic issues whilst the framework for new access was created, towards involvement in casework once access to open country and new rights of way legislation had been implemented.

Building on existing arrangements

3. Local forums should, wherever possible, use rather than add to existing arrangements for consultation. This might mean that the existing arrangements for rights of way consultation should be accommodated within a revamped committee conforming to the Agency's guidelines. In some places (like some National Parks), it might be possible to amalgamate some existing consultative mechanisms into a single local forum, and to deal efficiently with all access issues.

4. In some urban areas where rights of way and access are not major issues locally, it might be possible for an existing consultative arrangement to be adapted or reinforced to carry out this new role, rather than an altogether new committee being created.

5. However, in all cases, it will be necessary for the local forum to genuinely represent a wide range of interest, and comprise membership knowledgeable about the local demand for access, and the conservation and land management issues surrounding it.

Encouraging Cooperation

6. The Agency's guidelines should not propose a single model for the boundaries on which local forums will be based, and the scale of their operation. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to ensure that there is some consistency in the way that different authorities go about the task of setting up local forums, and the general scale of operation.

7. We might suggest that a local forum:

iv. should normally serve an area coincident with one or a number of highway authority areas

v. where National Park or AONB's exist, a single local forum should serve all of or the bulk of that area;

vi. outside of National Park and AONB's, local forums should normally serve an area coincident with one or more county/highway authorities;

vii. where there are unitary authorities, and especially where these cover mainly urban areas, they should join together to create local forums that serve an area at least equivalent to a reasonable sized county.

Changing Roles

8. Initially, local forums will be required to contribute to the confirmation of maps of open country, the dissemination of information locally on the rights and responsibilities of all involved, and the content of emerging local authority recreation and access strategies, including reviews of rights of way provision.

9. Later, local forums may be asked to give advice on the revision of local authority strategies, resolution of contested Rights of Way cases which are significant to local access provision, and proposals for closures of or restriction to open country.

 

Draft     ANNEX 1 

 

TENDER BRIEF 
LOCAL COUNTRYSIDE ACCESS FORUMS 

The Countryside Agency

1. The Countryside Agency was created on the 1 April 1999 following the merger of the Countryside Commission and the Rural Development Commission. Its works for people and places in rural England.

Summary of project

2. The Countryside Agency wishes to appoint a contractor to give specific advice on the creation and operation of local countryside access forums in England, with particular reference to the way in which this mechanism can be made to operate efficiently, and in harmony with existing local consultative and advisory mechanisms.

Background

3. Earlier this year Government announced its intention to legislate to improve access to the countryside through the creation of a statutory right of access on foot to open countryside, and through improvements in rights of way law and management. It published (in March 1999) a framework document 'Access to the Countryside in England and Wales: The Government's Framework for Action' (copy enclosed, Annex 1), which sets out the main elements of the package which it plans to implement.

4. The framework document proposes the establishment of Local Countryside Access Forums. It says:

"National Park and other local authorities will be asked to establish non-statutory local (countryside) access forums. These will play a key advisory role on different parts of the "access package". They will focus on issues of particular local relevance, including: 

  • considering local authorities' recreation and access strategies to ensure fair provision is made for all users; 

  • advising on local rights of way issues; and

  • advising on proposals for local closures of, or restrictions to, access land in accordance with national codes."  

5. The Government has asked the Agency to draw up good practice guidelines on the role, membership and operation of local forums, and to ensure effective geographical coverage.

6. A National Countryside Access Forum (NCAF) has already been set up by the Agency to advise it on the development of policy and procedures in relation to access to the countryside. The advice given to the Agency on the general principles for the creation of local Forums is attached as Annex 2 (papers and minutes to be attached). 

Objectives of the project 

8. The Agency requires:

a. a summary of the nature and extent of mechanisms which currently exist within highway, National Park and other local authorities for liaison, consultation and decision making with local interests on the provision and management of recreation and access, including rights of way, or for similar community liaison purposes;

b. an summary of recent or planned legislative or administrative changes within local or regional government which will influence the framework within which local forums will need to be established, and advice on compliance with these;

c. advice on the best way to make provision for the geographic coverage for individual forums which will be most effective at ensuring a nationally consistent framework of local forums while reflecting local circumstances and interests. 

d. a draft set of guidelines for the Countryside Agency to develop with Local Authority representatives and the NCAF, into a final set of requirements for local forums.

Methodology

9. Contractors are invited to outline their own method for the achievement of the objectives. The methods could include:

viii. a survey of highway, national park and other local authorities to find out the extent to which forums are used, what they do and how they are run;

ix. structured consultation with a range of highway, national park and local authorities agreed with the Countryside Agency. This could be achieved through a combination of written questionnaire and follow up telephone interviews; and

x. an analysis of how existing arrangements might be made best use of to achieve the specific remit of local countryside access forums.

Outputs 

11. The required outputs from this contract are:

xi. a report recording the situation as it presently exists, and giving clear recommendations about the creation and operation of local forums in a way that makes best use of existing practice, and is efficient and effective in the use of resources;

xii. appendices containing a full record of the methodology used for the study, sources of data, analysis of data; and

xiii. a short (4 page maximum) summary of the main findings of and recommendations in the main report.

Steering arrangements

12. The Agency's Project Officer for this contract will be ******** of the Agency's Access Policy Branch. The work of the contractors will be steered by a small group comprising relevant Agency staff and possibly also representatives of other organisations with an interest in the structure and operation of local forums. 

Timetable

13. Tenders must be received by 12 noon on ** November 1999. The contract will be let by ** December, and work will be expected to start immediately. The report, including summary will be required by mid-March 2000.

Tender 

14. Three copies of the tender should be sent to the Countryside Agency's Cheltenham office. They should be marked for the attention of ********, Access Policy Branch, and be annotated "Local Countryside Access Forums - tender document - not to be opened until 12 noon ** November 1999".

15. The tender document should contain the following:

a. the interpretation of the brief and proposed methods for achieving the objectives, and evidence of how they will be met;

b. the names of the individuals that would be involved in each task, and the planned time allocation and daily rates for each individual, together with a summary of their experience;

c. a financial breakdown of all the individual components of the brief including:

  • staff costs
  • travel and subsistence
  • costs of producing reports etc.
  • costs of attending steering meetings
  • total cost of whole project  

d. all financial components to be quoted excluding VAT, but clearly showing VAT where it applies.

16. (Conditions of contract and T&S rates)