The North York Moors National Park could hand back responsibility for managing public rights of way in the park to North Yorkshire Council.
The council is ultimately responsible for their upkeep but has historically delegated the management to the park authority but in recent years hasn't provided any funding.
Now the park says it can't afford the 230 thousand pound annual cost on it's own.
Deputy Chair - Malcolm Bowes - says talks between the two authorities haven't come up with a solution.
The current delegation agreements between the National Park Authority (NPA) and two Local Highway Authorities - North Yorkshire Council (NYC) and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) date from 2016 and 2017 respectively.
These in essence delegate to the NPA, the Highway Authority’s responsibility for the management of the entire network of public rights of way within the National Park.
Under the current Delegation Agreements, the NPA manages 2,357 km of public rights of way. This includes the following obligations:
- The repair or replacement of 720 bridges (approx.36 per year).
- The repair or replacement of 3,300 roadside signposts (approx. 330 per year).
- Liability for a minimum of 25% contribution to the cost of repair or replacement for approx. 300 gates and 250 stiles per year.
- Responsibility for the surface of all RoW.
The National Park Authority says maintaining the network costs it £230,000 a year but says the council hasn't been making any financial contribution.
National Park Chair - Jim Bailey - says that situation can't continue
The NPA says that both Delegation Agreements make provision for a contribution from the relevant Highway Authority to enable the NPA to undertake their statutory duties but neither authority currently does so and has not done so for some time. A report presented to NPA members said that :
"Provision was made in the 2023/24 budget for a contribution of £50k towards RoW provision. In January 2024 we received official confirmation from NYC that our request for a financial contribution had been turned down"
NPA members have voted to back a proposal to give 12 months notice to the Councils that it would end the delegation agreement, thereby returning the responsibility to the local authorities. At the same time the NPA will work on agreeing a revised agreement with the council options for which could include:
- Handing back responsibility for all bridges but retain the power to undertake work to priority bridges with their consent.
- Hand back all public rights of way with a sealed, or historically sealed surface to the LA.
- Utilise LA staff for enforcement escalation.
- Hand back management of Byways Open to All Traffic, but retain the power to undertake any work in line with NPA priorities.
- Hand back all low and medium priority routes to the LAs. The NPA could then focus all resources upon promoted and high priority routes.
- Promotion and development of volunteer and/or parish adoption of maintenance of local regular RoW.75
- Ending all enhancement and maintenance works unless part of an externally funded project
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