As a Town/Parish Clerk you may be the first point of contact for someone wanting to report a problem regarding a Public Right of Way.
A public right of way is a way over which the public has a right to “pass and repass”, whether or not the land is privately owned. On all types of public right of way, you can take a pushchair or wheelchair if the path is suitable, although many are across farmland so may have an uneven surface and may have gates or stiles. You can also take a dog, but it must be kept under close control, especially when near livestock. On open access land there may be restrictions at certain times of year to protect wildlife.
We receive over 1900 reports of issues regarding Public Rights of Way per year. Therefore, we prioritise our limited resources to resolving issues that pose the most significant risk and impact on network users.
We will investigate reports of issues considered dangerous and make them safe as soon as possible where this is our responsibility. The responsibility for issues relating to stiles, gates and obstructions lies with the landowner or tenant. In these circumstances, once identified, the person responsible will be informed and advised on what action needs to be taken.
We would encourage you to accompany your report with photos of issues as they can help us to identify locations and problems.
To report an issue with a Public Right of Way click here
You can view a map of the Public Rights of Way across North Yorkshire here The data on this map is for information only, it is not an extract of the Definitive Map and should not be relied on for determining the position or alignment of any public right of way.
Information about the different types of rights of way and who can use them can be found here