Richard Cuthbert, BSc (Hons), MIPROW

Richard was Head of Access & Rights of Way at Hertfordshire County Council for over sixteen years, a position he progressed to after several years as a Countryside Access Officer and then Countryside Access Team Leader in Hertfordshire. Prior to this he worked in diverse Authorities from metropolitan South Tyneside to rural Lincolnshire. He learnt the practical side of the trade with BTCV (the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) and the legislative side from gaining a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Studies from the University of Sunderland, specialising in Countryside and Rights of Way Management. He is now leading the Definitive Map & Enforcement Team at Hertfordshire County Council and is rights of way and access advisor to the Herts Local Access Forum.

He is a Chair of the Eastern Region ADEPT Rights of Way Managers Working Group (RoWMWG) and represents that region at the National ADEPT RoW meetings. He represented ADEPT on the RoW Good Practice Guide Steering Group, working to create and update that guidance. Richard has also represented the Local Government Association (LGA) providing advice and comment on issues such as the Commons Act 2006.

Richard is a past President and current Director of IPRoW (the national Institute of Public Rights of Way & Access Management Ltd) and sits on the board of Directors. He has authored articles for the IPROW professional magazine 'Waymark', on “Structures on PRoW - A post DDA view” and "Using External Agents to Process Public Path Orders.” He also sits on the cross-industry national Level Crossing Strategy Group, working to make all level crossings safer, and from that was a member of the Network Rail Working Group which developed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between local authorities & NR, for rights of way level crossings issues.

His leisure interests are 'busman's holidays' of hill & long-distance walking, although these have been curtailed lately, as he has two children aged 17 and 13 who keep him more than busy.