Surrey County Council is seeking input in to developing their Rights of Way Improvement Plan. This sets out how public rights of way meet the needs of the public, now and in the future. The current Rights of Way Improvement Plan dates from 2014 and needs to be reviewed.
Surrey County Council is responsible for around 2164 miles (3482 km) of public rights of way. These paths are both in the countryside and urban areas. They are important for enjoying and exploring, for travelling to work or school and for health and wellbeing. They are part of what makes Surrey a special place to live, work and enjoy.
A public right of way is a path that anyone, by law, has the right to use. There are four types:
- Footpaths for walking, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
- Bridleways for walking, horse riding, cycling, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
- Restricted byways for walking, horse riding, cycling, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs and horse-drawn carriages
- Byways for all modes including motorised vehicles
Surrey County Council have asked for your feedback by filling in on online form located here before the 10th March. Your feedback will help to develop the priorities and actions of the new Rights of Way Improvement Plan, which will be produced in 2024.
Such feedback could include but is not limited to the following:
- Gaps between almost adjacent public rights of way
- Sections of Footpaths, Bridleways and Byways that for periods during the year can become all but impassable to those on foot
- Sections, where if a landowner could be persuaded to dedicate a parallel route through, say, a field, then the public right of way could avoid a busy or dangerous road
- Locations where a public right of way is severed and either has poor sight-lines or is busy / has fast traffic, that could benefit from being bridged
- Readily accessible locations where a PROW could be improved to be free of obstacles.
More information can be found at the Surrey County Council homepage located here.
