Cut-off Date for Recording Rights of Way to be Scrapped

26 December 2024

In a very welcome announcement the Government today promised to repeal a provision in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 under which the right to use many footpaths, including both ancient routes and many that we currently rely on for our favourite walks, would otherwise have been lost on 1 January 2031.

Many rights of way were omitted when definitive maps were prepared in the 1950s and 1960s and any still not added to the definitive map by 1 January 2031 would have been immediately extinguished. Hundreds of volunteers have been busy trying to identify the omitted paths and apply to local councils to have them added to the definitive map but there was no hope of finishing the job in time.

To make matters worse some councils have been taking more than 20 years to deal with applications. We thank the Government for this sensible decision which may have been influenced in some small way by a letter to Ministers sent by the Kent Countryside Access Forum.