Rights and responsibilities

Who is responsible for various rights of way issues:
As Highway Authority, Shropshire Council has a duty to assert and protect the rights of way network. However the responsibility for ensuring the paths are safe and convenient for the public to use is shared between a number of others including landholders and users.

Shropshire Council responsibilities

• ensuring that rights of way are free from obstruction and that they can be used by the public safely and conveniently.
• clearing the surface vegetation from rights of way and ensuring that the surface is in a fit condition for its intended use.
• the maintenance of some, but not all, bridges.
• signposting and, where appropriate, waymarking rights of way.
• authorising stiles and gates on rights of way.
• ensuring that the definitive map is kept up to date
• removing rubbish and litter from all rights of way as far as is practicable under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
• consulting the Highway Authority as statutory consultee on all planning applications that affect a right of way.
• have the power to make diversions or extinguishments when rights of way are affected by development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

If you wish to report a problem, visit our online feedback form by following the link on this page.

Landowner and farmer responsibilities
The landowner must not:

• place any object, structure, fence or anything else on the path which may cause it to be obstructed.
• plough out any headland path
• must not allow any crossfield path to become obstructed by growing crops
• allow any bull over ten months of age, free range of any field through which a public right of way passes, unless it is of a recognised beef producing breed and is accompanied by cows or heifers.
• damage or interfere with the surface of any public right of way without the written permission of the Highway Authority.
• allow rights of way to become obstructed by overgrowing vegetation from boundary hedges and overhanging trees

Users rights and responsibilities
Your rights:

• to pass and re-pass along a right of way without being obstructed or intimidated
• to use a right of way with the normal accompaniments - for example a dog or pram. Note: a bicycle cannot be used on a footpath but may be used on a bridleway, restricted byway or byway open to all traffic.

Your responsibilities:

• to use all rights of way with respect for the owner of the land over which it passes and for other users of the network
• to use rights of way only for their designated purpose
• not to stray from the path
• to keep any dog with you under close control (if necessary, on a lead) and not to permit it to run over private land adjoining the right of way
• to prevent your dog from fouling a right of way so as to be a nuisance to other users
• to comply with the Countryside Code

To find out more about legislation and enforcement click on the link below.

To find out more information on policies we work to within the countryside access team and any current legal orders affecting the rights of way network vist the legal orders and policies page following the link below.

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