Survey of the network is a key part of the job for Eryri's wardens. The CAMS Mobile app allows efficient data collection in the field, integrating with the device's camera and GPS. As network coverage can be unreliable, it was important that the mobile app could function completely offline, without an internet connection. All the data and background mapping are held on the device for use in the field, and a one-touch operation allows the data to be synchronised with the main system when a connection is available. To help ensure quality and consistency of data, we configured the app to make certain data fields mandatory, and to ensure all updates from the field had a photo associated with them. It was also important for Eryri that the app could also be used in the Welsh language, so we worked with them to implement translations and allow the app to switch between Welsh and English at the touch of a button.

Eryri wardens have a rolling programme of rights of way to survey, and tools built into the CAMS Pro and CAMS Mobile solution assist with this. A task is created for a warden to survey a path by a particular date, and when that task is completed, the system automatically generates the next survey task based on the priority of the path and when it was surveyed this time. This process saves Eryri's senior wardens a lot of time from having to manually identify and reassign links to wardens for survey. From the perspective of the surveyors, they get a prioritised, date-based task list that they can work from, so they always know their priority tasks.

Field survey is only part of the story. In the office, Eryri staff need a system that helps them manage the rights of way network and respond to problems. The CAMS Pro solution provides this. An intuitive, easy-to-use web application provides a portal for members of the public to report issues on the path network, and for officers to track these issues through to completion. The system assists with prioritising issues and setting target dates, based on the authority's published rule base, and allows office staff to record tasks for field teams to work on. Operating fully bilingually, the website allows members of the public to submit reports of issues they encounter, and to see the and be notified about progress of their reported issues. This self-service frees up officer time to work on resolving the issues.

For officers, the public portal makes their job easier as the issue reports come to them in a standardised format, linked to a map location and using standardised descriptors. Photos may also be included. A simple interface takes the officer through the workflow of reviewing the issue, accepting or rejecting it in the system, and assigning appropriate tasks to wardens. Wardens receive all the information about their jobs on their tablets, and can update the information in the field, whether that's adding further detail for specialist teams, or signing the issue off when the work is done. This closes the loop, and the system automatically updates the complainant to let them know their issue is now resolved.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire

We worked with Staffordshire County Council to agree the standards for the survey and produce the survey manual, and after an on-site Pilot to confirm the standards, the fieldwork began in earnest. The survey ran from their live CAMS solution, so all the data collected immediately went back into their live CAMS and was instantly available to officers. While the surveyors were collecting data and photographs in the field, Exegesis consultants in the office worked on other areas of the project. We completed a GIS exercise to calculate the gradients along the route by intersecting the route with the 5m contour data, and used this information to identify the maximum gradient along each of the link sections. We also identified useful facilities on or near the route (such as car parks, EV chargers, accommodation providers and public conveniences) by buffering the route and intersecting this with the OpenStreetMap data.

A number of issues were identified during the survey, and for each of these we identified suitable next steps for mitigating or resolving these issues. Each of these actions had cost estimates associated with them, allowing us to produce a costed summary of the work required to resolve these issues. By classifying each of the issues by their effect on the user, and giving each a priority, we were able to break the cost down by the priority of the issues, as well as by those on the circular walks compared to the Staffordshire Way itself. A new form of analysis which we undertook was to give each issue a score based on the impact it had on the user and to total these scores for each link on the Staffordshire Way and associated walks. What this showed was that while some links were impacted by one serious issue, others had a larger number of smaller issues whose cumulative effect was just as significant.

After the fieldwork was completed, we collated the data from the analyses and the survey to provide useful reports for Staffordshire Council. A key area of interest was around accessibility, and being able to provide potential visitors with the information about where potential barriers were. The gradient analysis was obviously a key part of this, and we used this information alongside the data from the fieldwork about stiles, steps and similar items of furniture to show areas where accessibility could best be improved, as well as maps showing gradients and barriers. In addition, we produced atlases of the road crossings and sections of the route that followed roads, with photos, comments from the surveyor, details of any specific problems, and assessment of the provision and visibility.

All the information was loaded into Staffordshire's CAMS solution, where it is easily searchable and updatable by Staffordshire's public rights of way team.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire

The Rights of Way network in Calderdale comprises nearly 1,400km of moorland, steep valleys, and urban areas. The fieldwork was completed in three months, using a team of five surveyors armed with rugged tablets using our CAMS Mobile app. Our surveyors collected information on every furniture item and every issue/problem and captured over 27,000 photos. This gave officers at Calderdale Council a complete picture of their public rights of way.

Rather than simply handing back static report files, Exegesis loaded all the information from the survey into our new cloud-based CAMS Pro solution. This provides powerful searching capabilities, interactive mapping and photos integrated via LibraryLink in an accessible, intuitive website interface. But CAMS Pro is more than just an interface for viewing the survey data; it also includes tools for prioritising the issues, assigning tasks to officers, and tracking the progress of issues through to completion. A wide range of reports can be run from the system, and the interactive map allows the information to be visualised in different ways. In addition, CAMS Pro facilitates engagement with the public by allowing Calderdale Council to easily publish their register of applications for Definitive Map Modification Orders & Public Path Orders. To help keep the data up to date when working in the field, we also provided Calderdale Council with CAMS Mobile for their own use as well, allowing offline edits to the data, and synchronising directly with their CAMS Pro system when signal is available.

This project provided Calderdale Council with a comprehensive, up to date dataset of their public rights of way, along with easy-to-use tools to enable them to manage the data and to get the most value from it.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire

Under the Commons Registration Act 1965, the Council is obliged to maintain a register of all the areas registered as Common Land or as Town or Village Greens, along with details of ownership, rights holders and rights particulars. Managing these data in CAMS allowed integration of the map features for the commons & greens with their database records, something that had not previously been possible. For the first time it enabled users to view a common and all its associated tenements (land holdings with rights over the common) with one click. In addition, holding all the data within CAMS makes it easily available and searchable to a wider range of users.

Exegesis developed a new CAMS module to manage the Common land and Village Green Register, allowing users to easily find information on a range of criteria, such as "who has rights on this common?" or "which commons does this farm have rights over?", and easily keep on top of the day-to-day management of the data. The new Commons module handles all the data from the Commons Register and enables easy production of the hard-copy register sheets as well as various application forms and reports. In addition, tools in the Commons Module assist users with the process of reapportioning tenements when properties change hands.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire

The surveyor found the system easy to use in the field, and was impressed with the performance, GPS response and camera quality in the tablet. The 16% survey equated to about 140km of public rights of way, and this was completed in the field in just a couple of weeks.

After the fieldwork was successfully completed, the data were synchronised into the authority's CAMS system, allowing them to generate reports and plan for the future maintenance of the network.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire

Under the Commons Registration Act 1965, the Council is obliged to hold a record of these sites and associated rights. Countryside Access Management System (CAMS) allows officers to map all the sites and maintain accurate data about the sites, their landowners and rights holders.

Because the system is shared with Rights of Way staff users can see which Rights of Way traverse each Common or Village Green, allowing for a more integrated site and ROW management to be applied.

Further information from Simon Allen.

The site of the path was steeply sloping with significant vegetation cover, making it difficult for standard GPS receivers to get an accurate fix.

Working with the National Park authority, exeGesIS used high-precision GPS equipment to mark the line of the path, achieving sub-metre accuracy. These GPS data were used to create a map layer that could be incorporated into the authority's CAMS and GIS applications.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.

Each of the statements and statutory declaration documents relating to a Section 31(6) Deposit was scanned into a separate PDF document. The boundary of each deposit was then digitised, with multiple boundaries created if the boundary changed between statements / statutory declarations. 

The digitised boundaries were then linked to the associated attribute data to produce a digital layer so that Powys staff can undertake spatial searches to check whether a planning application is affected by Section 31(6) deposits.

Further information from Claire Lush

The data collected in the field, in common with other rights of way surveys carried out by exeGesIS, included locations and details of all the furniture items along the trail and any problems that required work to be carried out, along with photographs. These data were processed into the CAMS used by the Kintyre Way managers, and also into the separate CAMS used by the team in Argyll & Bute Council.

Training was then provided to all the users in the council offices in Lochgilphead, to maximise the benefit that both teams could get the from the data collected. In addition, reports were developed to the users’ requirements so that the data could be presented to other interested parties. This work provided the managers of the Kintyre Way with a means to not only identify where work was needed, but also to prioritise that work and to inform local interest groups of the improvements made to the trail.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.

The client required an affordable, mobile system for data gathering in the field. A key requirement was the ability to synchronise the data wirelessly with CAMS Desktop in the office from anywhere at any time.

CAMS Mobile gives you:

• Live data collection in the field
• Portable, lightweight Smartphone / tablet
• Fast, accurate GPS
• Fast, simple recording of data
• Mapping and intuitive forms
• In-built camera
• Seamless data sync 

CAMS Mobile is ideal for:

• Carrying-out condition surveys
• Ad hoc recording of work
• Information resource in your pocket
• Populating asset registers
• Recording issues
• Recording details of site visits

Download a flyer. Further information is available from Simon Allen.

Natural England asked exeGesIS to assist in developing the methodology for the baseline survey, which could then be applied in subsequent years to monitor the condition of the Trail. While Natural England's own surveyors carried out the fieldwork, exeGesIS provided the survey equipment and technical support to the surveyors during the six-week survey period.

The survey produced an inventory of all the assets on the Bridleway, from larger structures like bridges, through to gates, signs and smaller items like water troughs and mounting blocks. Any problems or issues on the trail were recorded, and GPS tracking functionality was used to produce a corrected and updated line of the route. After these data had been collected, exeGesIS produced a corrected map layer of the Trail and analysed and reported on the data collected. The data, including photographs, were loaded into the exeGesIS CAMS software to allow further analysis.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.

The initial stage was to work with the authority to develop a methodology for the survey, deciding what data needed to be collected and what standards should be applied: there is always an element of subjectivity in determining what criteria should be met for an asset to be considered satisfactory, and this was an area where exeGesIS were able to bring considerable experience to bear. Once the methodology was agreed, exeGesIS collated the existing data from the authority and completed preparations for the fieldwork.

The fieldwork was completed in just six weeks by one of exeGesIS’s experienced public rights of way surveyors. This involved the collection of information on over 1,800 assets and over 900 issues, and the capture of more than 3,000 photographs. All of the data were uploaded into the exeGesIS Countryside Access Management System (CAMS) software for analysis and reporting.

In addition to a series of reports, both summary statistics and detail reports, the data collected were loaded into the South Downs National Park Authority’s own CAMS solution, allowing them to interact with the data and carry out their own searching, reporting and analysis. This also provided them with a wealth of information that can be used and updated in their ongoing management of the trails.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.

exeGesIS developed a methodology for monitoring GI delivery, making an assessment of the delivery agreement against the GI delivered. This was based upon Natural England's existing Integrated Site Assessment methodology and encompassed ecology, access, green roofs and other aspects of GI delivery. It also allowed users to create bespoke targets against which to assess the site, to allow site-specific features to be considered.

The methodology was tested on four sites in the vicinity of Hull in March 2013 that included a range of features. Targets were established based upon the delivery agreements for each site, against which the sites were assessed. Any targets that were not met were identified and discussed.

This work was further developed in a second contract. We facilitated a workshop to focus Natural England's requirements for the survey methodology and, using consensus building techniques, agreed a reduction in the number of assessed features to make the methodology more user friendly. We then redeveloped the survey form, consulting further with Natural England to ensure the survey was suitable to the target audience and easy to use. We also wrote a comprehensive survey handbook to be used alongside the survey form.

The work was documented in a report to Natural England that covered the methodology development, selection of survey sites, results, redevelopment of the methodology, an assessment of the appropriateness of the methodology and recommendations for further development.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

exeGesIS worked with Bristol City Council to develop the methodology for the survey. We then used our Path Surveyor application to complete the survey, loading all the existing data onto handheld devices so that they were visible to the surveyor in the field. This enabled the surveyor to see what information already existed, update data on existing features where it was out of date and capture new features from scratch. This was done whilst retaining information that was still relevant.

A particular requirement for this survey was the capture of photographs for all features, not only for all furniture items (both new and existing) and for all issues, but also general photographs of the paths were required as well. These photos were captured on survey and processed via Field Data Manger into LibraryLink, where they are visible from the Council’s CAMS application.

Further information from Timothy Derbyshire.

In addition to the survey, the actual path line for the Wales Coast Path was digitised and categorised based on BS7666 standards.   

The survey was completed with the goal of providing a summary of the condition of the Wales Coast Path. It was also intended to act as a resource for local authorities responsible for maintaining the path as it passes along the coast.

After the survey all data was made available to NRW via a dedicated data management system. The Wales Coast Path Quality Management System is hosted and supported by Exegesis and available to NRW staff for the purposes of managing the Wales Coast Path.

For more information, please contact Simon Allen. 

exeGesIS has worked closely with Powys County Council over several years to provide this service. The process involves analysis of the current network’s state to create a 5% sample, preparation and organisation pre-survey plus supplying and supporting the surveyors whilst they are out in the field.

A 5% sample of the Powys Path Network is approximately 420km. exeGesIS surveyors complete this within a few weeks. The data is then processed and imported back into the PCC CAMS and reports are provided to indicate the condition of the network. 

For more information, please contact Simon Allen or Timothy Derbyshire. 

These walks are then published through the main Ramblers web site, with user-friendly route cards and downloadable GPX files, allowing ratings and feedback from walkers.

A web service API also allows the data to be incorporated into other web sites on demand.

Further information from Crispin Flower.

In keeping with established BVPI standards, exeGesIS worked with a team at Ceredigion to analyse and create a 5% sample of the Rights of Way network. A straightforward task when completed within CAMS.

After establishing a sample of approximately 130km in length, exeGesIS provided professional surveyors and completed the fieldwork promptly.

Post survey, exeGesIS analysed the condition data and produced reports to help Ceredigion prioritise their tasks and structure a workplan for the following year.

The raw survey data was also returned to the Ceredigion Rights of Way team and imported into their live CAMS. This allowed them to get up-to-date summaries about any furniture with poor condition or outstanding problems within the network they needed to respond to.

For more information, please contact Simon Allen or Timothy Derbyshire. 

The interactive web map is hosted by exeGesIS.

The web map is used by members of the public to report problems, search for local rights of way and other features of interest nearby. It lets users switch map layers (such as promoted routes or furniture) off and on and search for features on the map using an address or OS grid reference.

It was fully integrated into the existing Monmouthshire Council website. All elements of the design were maintained, in addition to the corporate styling the backend of the site was fully integrated into the existing Monmouthshire system to provide a seamless experience for members of the public and council employees alike.