FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

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Who owns the towpath?

he Conservators of The River Cam are the land owners of: the towpath, the river bank adjoining it, and from the towpath, in the other, direction to the tree line.

 

What does the Permissive Pathway Agreement mean?

This is an agreement between Cambridgeshire County Council and the Conservators agreeing that pedal bicycles are permitted to use part of the Conservancy’s land namely, the towpath/Halingway.

 

Why do the Conservators of the River Cam need an annual tree maintenance plan?

This is to ensure the appropriate management of the Conservancy’s 900 trees in a safe, environmentally appropriate and affordable way.

 

Why does the tree work take place between October & March?

The birds’ nesting season if from April to September, and following environmental guidelines, it is recommended that vegetation works including tree, hedge cutting or site clearance should be done outside of the bird nesting season.

 

Why is a Temporary Traffic Restriction Order (TTRO) required?

A TTRO is required by Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) for anyone carrying out work requiring closures on a highway. In legal terms the towpath  constitute a public highway. Conservators apply for this annually in relation to the annual tree work.

 

Why does the TTRO say that closures will take place between October & March?

One TTRO covers a broad period that will incorporate closures that may differ in length and the times when closures are required. This is done for safety reasons for the general public and for the contractors carrying out the works. This is a challenging environment in which to carry out such work.