Green Road Guardians: purpose & guardian role

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South London & Surrey Trail Riders Fellowship - Green Road Guardians scheme

Purpose
- A scheme to enable members of South London & Surrey Trail Riders Fellowship get involved in improving access and enjoyment of the green road network across Surrey, for the benefit of everybody.
- To demonstrate the benefits which members of South London & Surrey Trail Riders Fellowship contribute to improving access to the countryside.

Green Road Guardian role
None of this is formal, and as volunteers it is for you to decide what you do, how much and how often. Suggestions include:
- to undertake inspections on the condition of green roads and submitting a short report detailing any issues
- photographing a route to create a record on the condition of routes (this can by useful if the future if and when issue arise)
- ensure finger posts have our TRF-developed 'open to all users' byway signs on them
- if problems arise e.g. fallen trees, fly tipping, to do what you can to abate the nuisance and/or report to the relevant council
- to liaise with other green road users and adjacent residents and land-owners, either proactively or in response to issues which arise
- to raise awareness of vehicular rights on green roads, and responsible use of green roads including adherence to the TRF Code of Conduct

There scheme is designed to compliament Surrey County Council's Volunteer Path Warden scheme, which a number of TRF people are trained participants of.
Surrey County Council guidance on volunteering - https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/asse ... -guide.pdf

Giving some of your spare time to work improving access to our countryside can be a very pleasant and rewarding thing to do. It can be fun, social and offers great opportunities for healthy exercise. It can give you a great sense of self worth by contributing to the countryside and your local community. Your skills and experience can be of great benefit to others. You can develop new skills, gain valuable experience and improve your employability. It is also a great way to help people adjust from work to retirement.

Duties:
As a volunteer you are free from any formal duties, but are bound by certain responsibilities outlined below.

Powers:
Public rights of way are a form of highway, generally running over private land, so it is very important that volunteers are working within the law. Working as part of a County Council volunteer task or programme such as our Volunteer Path Warden Scheme, ensures you are working lawfully as a representative of the council (exercising the powers of the Highway Authority). Wardens are appointed by the County Council under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If work is being done on behalf (and with full permission) of the landowner, then this also gives you power to carry out tasks on public rights of way.

Rights:
Under common law, as a member of the public, you have the right to ‘abate a nuisance’, should you come across one whilst using a public right of way. This could include: moving a fallen tree branch across a path or going round some hay bales to continue on your way, if they have obstructed the path.

Responsibilities:
Even though you do not receive pay for your efforts, your work is still governed by many of the same procedures and legislation as paid staff. If working as part of a group you should:
• pay attention to your task leader and following instructions
• treat others with respect and thoughtfulness
• take care of the health and safety of yourself and others
• work at your own pace and within your own abilities, training and experience
• take care of any tools or equipment issued to you
If working as part of the councils’ Volunteer Path Warden Scheme you must have attended the training and work within terms of the Memorandum of Agreement. If working on behalf of a landowner, perhaps replacing a stile with a kissing gate, you are responsible for completing the job as agreed and particularly making sure the field is stock proof.

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