Description
The job itself
About the Role
Are you passionate about the countryside and committed to ensuring public access to our beautiful landscapes? We are seeking a dedicated Countryside Access Officer to join our Countryside Access team. You will play a vital role in maintaining, protecting, and enhancing the Public Rights of Way (PROW) network across the East Riding, ensuring it remains a safe and accessible community asset.
What You will Be Doing
1. Ensuring footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways, and byways open to all traffic are safe, accessible, and legally protected.
2. Investigating and resolving defect reports from residents, parish councils, and user groups, and communicating outcomes effectively.
3. Overseeing repairs to path surfaces, gates, stiles, bridges, and signage.
4. Assessing development proposals for potential impacts on PROWs and advising on mitigation.
5. Working closely with landowners, parish councils, contractors, volunteers, and user groups such as the Ramblers and British Horse Society.
6. Responding to applications for temporary closures of PROWs, including site visits and signage.
7. Supporting the Definitive Map team to uphold the councils statutory duties.
8. Maintaining rail trails, including inspections, contractor management, and promoting trail use.
About you
9. You have hands-on experience managing public rights of way or countryside access networks, with a strong understanding of relevant legislation (such as the Highways Act 1980 and Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000).
10. You are confident in organising and prioritising a varied, busy workload, including responding to reports, overseeing maintenance, and liaising with landowners and user groups.
11. You are an excellent communicator and team player, able to work independently, build positive relationships with colleagues, contractors, volunteers, and the public; you are committed, self-motivated, and willing to work outdoors in all conditions.
12. Ideally, you also bring experience in managing maintenance contracts, producing interpretation materials, working with the voluntary sector, and have specialist knowledge in areas such as habitat management, landscape or heritage assessment, or planning systems.