Cavan County Council commended for good practice in rights of way management
Cavan County Council has been identified as a local authority which “implemented good practice in terms of recording and managing public rights of way.
A new case study paper published by Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) researched and analysed how local authorities manage and record the issue of Public Rights of Ways (PROWs) in their respective counties.
The paper entitled 'Public Rights of Way and the Local Development Plan: A Survey Report on the Operation of Section 10(2)(o) of the Planning Act,' details investigative research and analysis of current practices regarding PROWs, publishes findings of a survey of local authority development plans and a outlines good practice in the area.
The report cites the Cavan County Development Plan 2014 – 2020 as recognising the value of PROWs. Specifically, the report notes how the development plan which identifies numbered PROWs across the county which is an example of good practice.
Planning Regulator, Niall Cussen said managing rights of way protect public access to amenities: “Ireland, like many other places around the world, has seen unprecedented increased demand on access to the outdoors since the Covid-19 pandemic. Public rights of way are an essential part of the amenity and recreational facilities available to the public which help people enjoy physical attributes of local communities, whether they provide access to rivers, seashore, lakes, uplands or other amenities and the planning process has a specific role to play in protecting key strategic rights of way.
“On foot the importance of walking and amenity access in the current pandemic, we undertook a preliminary review of the issue to analyse local authorities’ implementation of their obligations regarding PROWs. We also felt it was a good opportunity to highlight emerging and ongoing good practice to promote a more consistent approach,” the planning regulator said.
The report says Cavan County Council recognise the value and importance of clearly identifying PROWs in their development plan: “This will mean that the public are better informed about what and how these amenities in Cavan can be accessed and enjoyed,” Mr Cussen said.
The findings, good practice guide and recommendations in this case study report will help local authorities in their obligations regarding PROWs when preparing their development plans.
Among the report’s key findings are:
All development plans refer to the issue of PROWs
91% of plans identify policy objectives for the protection/preservation of PROWs;
However, only 31% of plans have an inventory of PROWs including their recording on maps;
63% of plans, including some plans that have an existing inventory and maps of PROWs, state objectives to identify PROWs during the lifetime of plan; and
29% plans had no inventory or map of PROWs nor an objective to identify any PROWs during lifetime of plan.
The planning process has recognised the importance of rights of way for many years. Since 2010, planning legislation obliges local authorities to include information for the public in their statutory development plans, including lists and maps on the extent of PROWs existing in their areas1.
This is the first in a series of OPR Case Study Papers. They are issued to promote shared learning and highlight best practice accordance with the OPR’s statutory remit to engage in education, training and research activities