Parish Paths Initiative

In 2006-7 we ran a successful 'Parish Paths Initiative' (PPI) pilot scheme with ten local parishes getting involved with various aspects of their local rights of way.  

This year (2007-8) we have expanded the pilot to twenty parishes.  

Under PPI, parishes can apply to Cumbria County Council for a grant of up to £1000 to help the local community take action in improving their public rights of way network.  For example:

• Monitoring - checking the paths in your parish to find out what needs to be done to make them fully usable or more easily accessible,
• Reporting - informing the countryside access team of any maintenance and enforcement problems, 
• Improving access to the countryside - by replacing stiles with gates or by improving path surfaces, and widths, clearing vegetation and waymarking, 
• Promotion - raising awareness of the local path network through leaflets, interpretation panels and map boards,
• Features  - by providing attractive seating at viewpoints along a route, for example carved wooden benches in a woodland setting.    

The grant is only available for public rights of way, not for permissive routes.  To find out which routes are public rights of way in your parish, use the link to The Definitive Map on the left-hand menu.  

What can the grant pay for? 

100% of the grant is available towards:

• Material costs,
• Purchase or hire of tools, including strimmers,
• Safety equipment and insurance,
• Training for parish volunteers,
• Labour provided by contractors.

50% grant is available towards seating or the production of leaflets or other interpretation material, like map boards and panels.  

How can I find out more?

To find out more, you can:

• Follow the link on the left-hand-menu to the "Frequently Asked Questions about PPI", 
• Download the PPI leaflet below, 
• Read two of the "testimonials" or the "Your Cumbria" article included below, 
• Or contact Andrea Bonacker, the Countryside Access team's Volunteer and Ranger Officer, for further advice and guidance.