Condition and Accessibility of Unclassified Country Roads
We were appointed by Wye Valley Landscapes to assemble a multi-disciplinary team to undertake an assessment of the condition and accessibility of Unclassified Country Roads (UCRs).
Our study was implemented as a pilot in two areas, Whitebrook and Tintern to determine if a wider scheme could be implemented for further UCRs across the country. We worked on behalf of the client to scope and implement an agreed scope of works, resulting in provision of a comprehensive review of conditions in the pilot areas.
Project Objectives:
Unsealed Unclassified County Road (UCRs) are part of the public highway network, are legally open to all users and generally managed by the pertinent local County Council. Whilst they may run concurrently with footpaths, bridleways or restricted byways, they are public roads, not a sub-category of public rights of way and may therefore be accessed by motorised vehicles at any time.
In the area of study, due to topography, route restrictions and surface conditions, the UCRs are generally inaccessible to standard road vehicles and are primarily used by off road type vehicles, walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The audit that the assessment team was instructed to undertake, was aimed at addressing escalating concerns about the condition of the UCRs and issues such as:
- Degradation of the surface and structure of the UCRs, exacerbated by steep slopes and high-impact use.
- Potential safety risks to all “users” of the UCRs.
- Areas of potential restricted access caused by poor surface conditions/route narrowing/interaction between varying users etc.
- Loss of the natural and cultural fabric of the countryside, including dry stone walls lining sections of the UCRs.
We were appointed to assemble a multidisciplinary team comprising geotechnical engineers, structural, civil and drainage engineers, and ecologists to implement the assessment on 12no. UCRs, covering around 15 – 20km of UCRs within the pilot study area. All areas of the pilot study were assessed on foot over two days with detailed observations made on the key drivers that were specified as part of our commission.
As part of our assessment, we were able to provide our Client with a comprehensive report discussing each of the 12no. UCRs addressed alongside detailed commentary on geotechnical stability, condition of historic dry stone walling, surface water drainage, ecology and general access. The Client has used our findings as part of steering group discussions on improvement works and potential assessment of future UCR routes.
