Group Access &

Footpath Officer (Scotland)

1. The role

Purpose of Role / To uphold access rights on the land and to champion initiatives that lead to greater opportunities for people to benefit from these rights, particularly the creation of path networks.
Duties / Key duties
To keep eyes and ears open for opportunities to promote access or for developments that may threaten access. This is done by:
  • being the local point of contact for any path or access problems, giving advice and reporting the problem to the relevant authority;
  • responding to information received from Ramblers Scotland;
  • building relationships with local authority access officers;
  • joining the Local Access Forum or influencing its walking representative;
  • joining or influencing any local path groups.
To report regularly to staff in the Ramblers Scotland office and to keep them updated on significant developments.
To keep Group members informed of developments through participation at Group committee meetings and/or ensuring information is available in Group newsletters.
To maintain and keep up-to-date a list of local contacts for use in the event of access and other path problems, eg, environmental degradation, developments encroaching on or preventing access.
Optional
To let the public know about opportunities or threats to walkers resulting from local initiatives and developments. This could be done by writing articles or letters for the local press, producing leaflets, talking to local community groups.
Skills & Experience
/
  • A passion for walking and an affinity with the charitable aims of the Ramblers.
  • An understanding of, or interest in learning about,Scottish access legislation and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
  • Good communication skills, able to represent the concerns of the Ramblers to a range of audiences, including local authorities.

Support available / Extensive support is available from Ramblers Scotland staff by phone, email and occasional visits, and from other Ramblers volunteers. A guide to access in Scotland can be provided and occasional training workshops are run.
For Officers who wish to carry out publicity or promotional work, the office can supply presentation material on access and guidance on producing leaflets.

2. Further information

Helen Todd, Campaigns & Policy Manager, Ramblers Scotland, Kingfisher House, Auld Mart Business Park, Milnathort, Kinross, KY13 9DA
Tel. 01577 861222;

Guidelines for Group Access & Footpath Officers

Dealing with an access problem

As Access & Footpath Officer for your group, you are the person who will be contacted when there is a local access issue. Sometimes access problems can be dealt with quickly and easily, but unfortunately at other times these problems can drag on for years before, hopefully, being resolved. Below are some guidelines as to how to approach an access issue, and where you can go for help. This is not an exhaustive list, nor will all of the options be suitable for every situation.

  • Check the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: Make sure you have a copy and check what the Code says about this kind of situation.
  • Go to your Group Committee: Raise the issue at the next committee meeting to let them know it has arisen, and see if anyone has any experience of a similar situation. Discuss future actions to be taken.
  • Contact the Ramblers Scotland office: Get in touch with staff at the office on 01577 861222 or by email at . They will be able to give you advice on the legal situation, what the Scottish Outdoor Access Code says, and also contact details for local access officers. Staff may also have experience of similar problems and can give information of what has happened elsewhere. In any case, the problem will be logged to enable the Ramblers to monitor access issues nationally.
  • Contact the Area Access Officer: Some Ramblers Scotland Areas have an Access Officer, and if this is the case for your Area, get in touch to let them know about the problem. It is part of their role to monitor what happens within their Area, and they are also knowledgeable about access and able to give advice.
  • Contact the farmer or land manager: If you know who they are, you might want to get in touch with the land manager to make them aware of the issue and see if it can be resolved quickly.
  • Know what you want to achieve: Do you want a padlock removed, a stile replaced by a gate for all users, a bridge repaired or an alternative route created? It is much better to give a concrete request rather than just use a “something must be done” approach.
  • Contact the local authority or national park authority access officer: Report the problem to the access authority. Contact details can be found at Access authorities now have a duty to uphold access, and the powers to enable them to do this. However, the access officer is often the only member of staff for one large local authority area and can be stretched, so results don’t always happen immediately. Don’t be afraid to follow up your phone call/email to make sure this problem becomes a priority for the local authority.
  • Get local support: Show the access authority how important this issue is to walkers and others. Ask them to contact the local access officer too. People you might want to contact include:

(a)neighbours and other local residents;

(b)Ramblers group members (perhaps have a walk to show them the problem);

(c)Ramblers members throughout the Area;

(d)the Community Council or other Residents’ Associations;

(e)the landowner/land manager of the problem site;

(f)Councillors;

(g)the local MSP/MP;

(h)other users of the path, eg, cyclists, horseriders and their national organisations (CTC (the Cyclists’ Touring Club), Sustrans, British Horse Society, Mountaineering Council of Scotland, etc).

(i)Scotways, to check if the route is a right of way and get advice on rights of way legislation.

  • Get the media involved: Write a letter to the local press highlighting the problem and asking people to contact the local authority to show their concerns.
  • Go to the Local Access Forum: If nothing is resolved, take the problem to the Local Access Forum by first contacting the recreation user representatives, and then by writing to the access officer and asking for the issue to be raised at the next LAF meeting. Contact details may be available on the local authority website or via the access officer.
  • Further action: Put further pressure on the local authority to take action. Ways of doing this include:

(a)getting a petition signed by path users and other local residents/visitors which is presented to the council;

(b)getting in touch with local media, eg, a local newspaper or radio station. Try to get them to do a story based on the issue, which may involve rounding up a few people to give interviews.

(c)Ramblers Scotland may be in a position to pursue the case if it helps progress on an issue of national concern. This may involve taking up the issue with the access authority, or writing a letter to the local paper.

  • Repeat all the above! Tell us how you get on, as this will be helpful in monitoring progress with the Land Reform Act.

October 2012