I am seeking definitive information concerning the existing surfaced/tarmac track running from the vicinity of the Cookham Dean War Memorial around the Cricket Common (Cookham Dean Common) and towards The Inn on the Green, Cookham Dean.
I understand that the Council holds detailed highway/road-network GIS information, including information beyond that shown on the public highway map. I would therefore be grateful if you could investigate the Council's underlying records and answer the following specific questions.
1. Highway status
Please confirm whether the surfaced section described above is:
- a highway maintainable at public expense;
- an adopted highway included in the Council's List of Streets;
- an unadopted/private road;
- a private road subject to a public right of way;
- a private access road subject to rights of access; or
- subject to another form of highway/access status.
Please give the name, USRN, highway reference or other identifying reference under which the relevant section is recorded, if one exists.
2. Exact extent of adopted highway
Please provide the Council's most detailed available highway extent/boundary plan or GIS data for this location.
In particular, please confirm whether the existing tarmac/surfaced carriageway:
(a) from the Cookham Dean War Memorial,
(b) around the edge of Cricket Common, and
(c) towards The Inn on the Green,
falls wholly or partly within the highway maintainable at public expense.
If only part of the surfaced route is adopted, please identify exactly where the adopted highway begins and ends.
I am requesting the underlying highway extent/boundary information held by the Council.
### 3. Ownership of the land beneath the surfaced route
If the surfaced route is not highway maintainable at public expense, please confirm whether the Council holds any information identifying the owner of the land over which it runs.
In particular, does the Council's highway/property/GIS information indicate that any part of this surfaced route lies on National Trust-owned land forming part of Cricket Common?
I appreciate that the Council may not be able to certify private land ownership. If so, please simply confirm whether its records identify the land as privately owned/National Trust land and state what record this conclusion is based upon.
4. Maintenance responsibility
Please confirm whether RBWM has ever undertaken, commissioned, funded or contributed towards maintenance, repair, resurfacing or drainage works on the existing surfaced section.
If so, please provide:
- dates of the works;
- the nature of the works;
- the section of road concerned;
- who commissioned the works;
- who paid for them; and
- any relevant job/reference numbers.
Please also confirm whether RBWM currently has any maintenance responsibility for the surfaced section.
5. Historic construction or surfacing
Please search the Council's available historic highway records for evidence concerning the construction, surfacing, tarmacking, resurfacing or upgrading of this particular route.
I am particularly interested in records showing:
- when the existing tarmac was first laid;
- whether the route was originally gravel/unmade;
- whether the surfacing was carried out by RBWM, a predecessor authority, the National Trust or private parties;
- whether RBWM or a predecessor authority gave permission/consent for the surfacing; and
- whether any agreement was entered into between RBWM and the National Trust concerning the route.
If the Council does not hold such records, please confirm that explicitly.
6. Public rights of way
Please confirm whether there is a recorded public footpath, bridleway, restricted byway or other public right of way along any part of this route.
If there is, please provide the relevant Definitive Map reference and status.
7. Historic highway records
Please check whether the Council holds any historical highway records, adoption agreements, dedication agreements, highway orders, maintenance agreements, correspondence or other documents relating specifically to:
Cricket Common / Old Cricket Common / The Inn on the Green / the War Memorial / the surfaced track around Cricket Common.
Please include records held under predecessor authorities where available.
8. National Trust/Common Land
The area is understood to form part of the National Trust's Cookham Dean Commons, which have been in the care of the National Trust since 1934. RBWM's own Conservation Area Statement describes the commons and the network of roads, tracks and footpaths in this area. (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead)
Please therefore confirm whether RBWM has any records showing that the existing surfaced section was:
- already a highway before the National Trust acquired the Common in 1934;
- subsequently dedicated as a highway;
- subsequently adopted by RBWM or a predecessor authority; or
- surfaced or improved under any agreement with the National Trust after 1934.
9. If the route is not adopted
If you conclude that the existing surfaced route is not highway maintainable at public expense, please state clearly:
“RBWM has no highway maintenance responsibility for this section.”
Please then identify, insofar as the Council's records allow, whether the route is regarded as a private road/access track and whether RBWM has any record of the party responsible for its maintenance.
10. Please provide the evidence relied upon
For each of the above conclusions, please identify the specific Council record, map layer, List of Streets entry, highway record, order, agreement or other document on which the answer is based.
I am not seeking a general description of the highway network. I am seeking the Council's recorded position concerning this specific surfaced section around Cricket Common and The Inn on the Green.