Diversions
This Council affirms that it is the policy of the Ramblers:
(a) To oppose a proposal to extinguish a public path by means of a public path extinguishment order under section 118 of the Highways Act 1980 unless there is clearly no public need for the path, either now or in the future;
(b) To oppose a proposal to divert a public path by means of a public path diversion order under section 119 of the Highways Act 1980, unless the alternative path to be provided either positively improves the route or offers an alignment which is only marginally less satisfactory to users.
Notices on site of diverted rights of way
This Council suggests to highway authorities that they should put some permanent notice where rights of way have been diverted or closed. The notice should give information about the direction and distance in which the path can now be found, if diverted.
It also seeks legislation to require such notices to be in position for a minimum of 5 years after the Ordnance Survey has published maps at 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scale showing the effect of the change and for the relevant Acts—Highways Act, Town and Country Planning Act, etc—to make it a condition that where a path is re-routed it is permanently signed and waymarked.
This Council deplores the practice of councils which promote or condone unofficial rights of way diversions thereby undermining the credibility and authority of the definitive maps. We also deplore the increasing use by highway authorities of Countryside Commission grant-aid to finance these diversions, giving them a credibility which may become permanent at the expense of nearby legal rights of way. Council calls upon H M Government to issue a directive to highway authorities, reminding them of their legal responsibilities to protect definitive rights of way and resist illegal diversions.
