Rights of way forum

A new joint forum is being set up to advise on access to the countryside in Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside.

The trio currently have various cross-border initiatives. The Pennine Way footpath and Pennine Bridleway cross all three covering 776 miles of public rights of way and 20,000 acres of access land.

All three will share the administration costs, about £1,000 a year each, with Oldham’s portion coming from its parks and traffic budgets.

When independent local access forums were set up in 2000, Oldham was originally grouped with five councils in the Pennine Fringe forum, one of 80 across the country.

Forum members can include ramblers, cyclists, landowners, horse riders, heritage and local archaeological groups.

The first Pennine Fringe meetings were well attended, around the time the Government opened up high open countryside, or access land, to the right to roam.

But interest has now dwindled, the council says, due to confusion about what their role is and frustration among members about funding queries and having to travel to meetings in their own time.

Different councils hosted the meetings in different towns and for the past two years the forum has offered no advice or interaction with authorities. Now Oldham Council has agreed to set up the new forum with neighbouring councils, Tameside and Rochdale.

Bury and Bolton will set up their own forum.