New Management Structure for The Ridgeway

The Ridgeway Trail Partnership: The Friends of the Ridgeway AGM started with an initial open session on the current talks on a new management structure for the National Trails and for The Ridgeway.   Chairman Ian Ritchie gave us a short briefing on the progress of the New Deal proposed by Natural England, and the revised funding and organisational arrangements that are needed. The objective is greater stakeholder participation, engaging not only walkers and other users, but also landowners, commercial providers and local communities, alongside the highways authorities who are solely responsible at present. We believe it is important that the new stakeholders control strategy, and that greater emphasis is placed on promotion and development, with new resources mobilised. To date, it has been agreed that the Thames Path and The Ridgeway should be governed as separate entities, and both the AONBs along The Ridgeway have joined the management group. We too have agreed to join the new Ridgeway Trail Partnership when it is formed, in recognition of the changed circumstances, and will be recommending this formally to members in due course. A study by consultants is in progress, and we have found them receptive to our ideas.