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• Public rights of way

• Highways Act 1980 S31A Public Register

Public rights of way

Public rights of way are ways over which the public have the right to pass and re-pass. Public footpaths are for pedestrians only. Public bridleways are for pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists. Public byways are pedestrians, horse riders, cyclists and motorised vehicles, subject to the character of the way.

Rights of Way Improvement Plan (RoWIP)

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (the CROW Act) requires all Highway Authorities to produce a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (RoWIP).  The RoWIP contains a statement of actions to manage and improve the local rights of way network.

Can I check if a path is a public right of way?

If you wish to check whether a path is a public rights of way please contact us providing the location of the path. On receipt, an officer will check the status of the route on the definitive map and statement of public rights of way. However the council is, at present, only in early stages of creating a definitive map with very few footpaths recorded. The council does benefit from a map produced by the local ramblers association, which shows routes they believe could be included on such a map - though this map has no legal status.

If a route is not recorded as a public right of way it could possibly be a claimed path through prescribed right. In which case you should speak to us for more information.

Contact details

Downloadable documents

About PDFs and Accessibility

•   Rights of Way Improvement Plan (RoWIP) (862 kb)