The Chiltern Society Area Secretary Role

Overview

An Area Secretary is the key local representative of the Society in all Rights of Way (ACCESS) matters, and each area sec will look after an area covering a number of individual parishes.

The role includes appointing and supporting path reps in each of the parishes, who regularly report on any issues in their territories. It can also involve discussions with landowners, local councils, and other interested parties as well as the general public.

The area secretaries all come under the Society’s Rights of Way Group, which meets on a regular basis and works with the Society’s officers and other groups to further its aims. All area secretaries are invited to these meetings along with the chair, the Path Maintenance Volunteer (PMV) leaders, Chiltern Way officers, and the leaders of special ROW activities like walks and mapping.

The primary role of the Area Secretary is to maintain and improve the Rights of Way in their area.

Managing The Path Representatives

This aim is achieved, firstly, by supporting (and recruiting when necessary) a network of parish path representatives, who are the ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground for the Society. It is the path reps who, hopefully, walk the paths, know their paths in the most detail and who provide six monthly reports on all their paths, together with ad hoc reporting as issues arise.

Supporting path reps incorporates a wide range of different activities and the requirement to deal with different individuals and organisations. It is essential to communicate with path reps on a regular basis, both as a group to keep them informed of Society initiatives and activities, as well as on a one-to-one basis, especially when responding to a query from them. Supporting them might involve:

· Visiting paths with them to help decide how a problem can be solved

· Identifying and liaising with landowners when required (over time the area sec will build up and maintain as comprehensive a list of possible of local landowners, whose support is vital to the success of the Area Secretary)

· Liaising with the County Council regarding problems, path diversions, and jobs which may require their employees.

Working with PMV and The Council to Maintain and Improve Access

The second major part of the role involves working with the other area secretaries, working closely with the PMV to inform and plan their activities in working on the Rights of Way in the South Chilterns.

The PMV, supported by the Council, organises path clearance, the replacement of stiles with gates, the installation of waymark posts, and other physical activity on the ROW. Much of the work of the PMV is generated by the area secs, with input from their path reps.

So, this can involve:

· Identifying the need for clearance of vegetation on specific paths.

· Identifying the need for new or replacement waymark posts.

Other Potential Involvements

Some area secs become involved in particular aspects of the ROWG, so as an example one of the Bucks area secs leads all interaction with the HS2 project.

Very occasionally the Society may send the area sec documents it has received from the Council, for example statutory notices and proposals for path orders and diversions. In this case the area sec is best placed to propose the Society’s response to these.

There may on occasions be a need to liaise with the Society’s planning team to react to council planning consultations following planning applications which affect rights of way.

On rare occasions an area sec can represent the Society at public enquiries.

The area secs will occasionally be contacted by the Society’s walks organisers with a view to organising or leading the occasional Society walk.

General Points

The area sec is expected to maintain records of correspondence and documents which may be required concerning claims and supporting evidence.

The area sec should keep and coordinate the six-monthly path rep reports.

The area sec may claim for expenses incurred including travelling costs and submit claims half yearly in May and November.

Document storage is available at the White Hill Centre.

All volunteer members of the Chiltern Society are covered by public liability insurance whilst engaged on Society activities. Any incident relating to a possible claim must be reported immediately to the General Secretary of the Chiltern Society and the Chair of the ROWG.

"Rights of Way" - a guide to law and practice - by John Riddall and John Trevelyan is generally regarded as "the bible" for reference purposes.