What is P3?
Cambridgeshire County Council works in partnership with local parishes to improve, maintain and promote the public rights of way network within individual parishes.
The scheme is called the Parish Paths Partnership, and parishes that are members receive the support of the Parish Paths Liaison Officer based at the County Council, and grant-funding for work on Registered
Parish Paths Partnership Grants are available for:
- survey of the rights of way network
- maintenance of field-edge paths
- clearance of vegetation (not overhanging vegetation, which is the landowner's responsibility)
- repairs to stiles and gates
- replacing stiles with kissing gates
- waymarking
- promotion of paths through maps or events
The work can be tackled by parish volunteers, landowners or employment of a local contractor.
Background to scheme
The Cambridgeshire Parish Path Maintenance Scheme was started in 1988. This encouraged parish councils to take a more active role in the upkeep of public rights of way.
This County scheme formed the basis for the Countryside Commission's Parish Paths Partnership, which was launched in April 1992.
Countryside Commission funding for the scheme ended in March 1998, but new partnerships have been formed between the County Council and the four District Councils - East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, and South Cambridgeshire to secure the future of this valuable local scheme.