Area Secretary: Alan Rugman, Perth y Bu House, Mochdre, Newtown SY16 4JX
T: 01686 626366 M: 07732 787651 E: secpowysramblers@gmail.com
MINUTES OF ZOOM AREA COUNCIL: TUESDAY 13 MAY 2025

Attendance
Alan Austin (Chair), Alan Rugman, Emlyn and Shirley Williams, Geoff Beilby, Graham Taylor, David Rees

Apologies
Richard Tyler

Minutes of the meeting on 11 February 2025
The minutes were approved without amendment.

Ramblers Cymru AGM 22/23 March 2025
9/25 The event at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells had been successful, with two walks led by GT and a productive session on the Saturday about overcoming barriers to walking. The procedural meeting the next day had also worked well, attended by the Ramblers CEO. DR said that Ramblers Cymru was considering the Metropole as the venue for the 2026 AGM. GB could provide a band for evening entertainment.

Meeting with Powys Council leader
10/25 AA and GT had attended the meeting with Jackie Charlton, Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys, reminding her of the aims of the Powys Ramblers manifesto before the last Council election. She accepted that the results were disappointing. A new approach to managing volunteers, including a Volunteer Handbook, would shortly be launched, but the fundamental problem of lack of officer support remained. A new system for reporting path problems would soon be introduced, allowing direct access to CAMS. Officer involvement would still be required, with little time saving. There would be no indication of priority or degree of problem. EW and GB pointed out that volunteers were still prevented from repairing stiles because they were the property of the landowner.

11/25 AA felt it was difficult for Councillors to override the views of officers, who would always be responsible for actual service delivery. For example, Councillors were told that there were 239 recorded volunteers but a recent survey of those individuals showed that the effective number was far fewer.

Review of Area and Group structure
12/25 As part of a Ramblers GB governance review, a Zoom consultation would be held on two dates in May. Attendance was open to all. AR would forward DR’s email to all AC members. 
Groups in Wales generally functioned well, especially in organising walks, but the Area structure was weak: only Powys and North Wales Areas were operational. 			           ACTION AR

Footpath Secretary’s report
13/25 Key points:
o	Notifications of planning applications affecting public rights of way were still not being received. The issue was being pursued at member level. 
o	A moratorium on public path orders was apparently being considered again, 
o	An Estyn report had highlighted safeguarding issues arising from public paths across school sites. There could be about 20 such sites in Powys. GT had offered PCC assistance in dealing with these cases, emphasising that diversion would be preferable to extinguishment.
o	Ramblers GB was launching am initiative to ensure that walk leaders were properly trained in order to ensure safety on Group walks.
o	Fold Farm, Presteigne: officers seemed likely at last to recommend making a DMMO.
o	Monk’s Trod: PCC was now carrying out a Habitats Regulation assessment. Levelling-up funding from the UK Government had still not been confirmed. Widespread opposition to the proposed improvement scheme remained. GT had suggested that opposition would be reduced if a permanent TRO banning motorcycle use were to be made.
o	Ramblers GB had produced a policy paper on renewable energy projects; see the website.
o	The Welsh Government Access Improvement Grant for Powys would be continued in 2025/26. Funding of about £250,000 would probably be spent on bridge works.
o	At the AGM, GT had shown attendees five examples of dreadful stiles in the Llanyre area. The Open Spaces Society would submit Section 130 notices to PCC in each case.

14/25 A Ramblers member in Sussex, Chris Smith, had carried out detailed work on lost ways in the former Radnorshire. Progress towards DMMOs would require significant funding for Land Registry searches to obtain information about land ownership, plus costs of travel and subsistence to obtain further information from the archives in Llandrindod. Funding would be shared with the OSS. It was agreed that any DMMOs should to relate to meaningful improvements to the path network rather than routes effectively redundant. AR would send Chris Smith’s email to Jack Cornish at Ramblers GB.								           		           ACTION AR
Treasurer’s report
15/25 The closing balance at 31 March 2025 was £1,972.39. Additional funding for 2026/27 would be unlikely because reserves already exceeded 100% of annual expenditure. SH would take part in a Ramblers GB ‘sounding board’ involving Area Treasurers. It would be an opportunity to point out  that the 100% reserves target made little sense when the expenditure involved was so low.

Any Other Business
16/25 GT and Peter Loughran had led walks forming part of anniversary events to celebrate 50 years since the opening of the Wye Valley Walk.
17/25 GB drew attention to the Newtown Outdoor Festival walks on 31 May/1 June.
18/25 DR said that Ramblers Cymru may replace the Zoom licence with Microsoft Teams. AA requested that consideration be given to extending the licence to provide access for RC Areas and Groups.

Date of next meeting

The Area Council will next meet over Zoom or Teams on Thursday 25 September 2025 at 10.00.