Maidenhead & Windsor

The search is on for volunteers with an interest in the countryside to join the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead flourishing Local Access Forum.

The forum – set up last year and one of a nationwide network stemming from the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 – already has a thriving membership including walkers, horse riders, cyclists, farmers and landowners.

In a bid to further broaden its range of interest and expertise, the Windsor and Maidenhead forum is now looking for people with interests in land management, health or the environment to join its current 20-strong membership.

The forum - which meets three times a year – gives advice and guidance to the Royal Borough about improvement of access to land in the area so that local people and visitors can gain maximum benefit from the surrounding countryside.

It also provides valuable direct links into the Windsor and Maidenhead community, acting as a communication and consultation channel on a wide variety of topics including rights of way and improving recreational access in rural areas.

Since its inaugural meeting in April 2003, the forum has contributed to the production of the borough's Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan – a ten-year strategy for the improvement of the Rights of Way network in the Windsor and Maidenhead borough due to be launched in June 2005. It has also been involved in:

establishing working groups to focus on the needs of specific rights of way users

input into the Milestones statement, the annual report and plan which includes new public rights of way policies and procedures

input into the Local Windsor and Maidenhead Development Framework

supporting the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England's proposal to introduce quiet lanes in the borough.

Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Simon Werner, lead member for the environment, said: "In its first year, the forum has played a major role in helping to develop our rights of way improvement plan – and supporting the council's commitment to the protection of green spaces and the highest quality of public access to the countryside.

"The forum is a statutory advisory body, and the council takes into account and respects the forum's views on issues relating to access to the countryside.

"The calibre of forum membership is already very high, with members drawn from the public, private and voluntary sectors, chosen to represent their interests rather than a specific organisation. But we would value input from people involved in land management and the environment to help represent a complete balance of interests."

Peter Thorn, chairman of the Local Windsor and Maidenhead Access Forum, said: "The forum provides a valuable opportunity to ensure that a wide range of opinion is available to the council in its deliberations on this extremely important aspect of community life."

The next meeting of the forum is on January 11 2005. For further information about the forum – or to request a membership application form – contact Andrew Fletcher, Windsor and Maidenhead public rights of way officer, on 01628 796549 or visit the website at www.rbwm.gov.uk/around/prow/local access forum.htm

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead ~ 22-Nov-2005