Public Rights of Way

An Introduction to Public Rights of Way

Public Rights of Way can positively contribute towards your quality of life. Rights of way give us access to the countryside for fresh air, recreation or relaxation, to get closer to wildlife, to enjoy the environment, to improve their health and mental well-being, walk, ride a horse or cycle.

They also form an important part of the transport network, providing a sustainable form of transport for people through cycling and walking: allowing them to access local services such as shops, health facilities, education and employment.

There are 454km of rights of way on Merseyside. The Rights of Way Improvement plan for Merseyside looks at where access to the network for the public could be improved.

As part of the plan Local Authorities will be required to identify changes needed to make the Public Rights of Way network meet the Governments aims of better provision for walkers, cyclists, equestrians and people with mobility problems. Which will make the network more useful and appealing.

What are Public Rights of Way?

A public right of way is a route over which the public have a right of passage. They exist as minor public highways providing the public with a right to use a defined route to travel from one place to another.

There are a number of different types of public right of way, each is determined by the nature of the right to use, and each has its own definition. On Merseyside we have:

Public footpaths - allowing pedestrian access.
Bridleways - allowing access for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
Byways open to all Traffic (also known as "BOATs") - allowing access for pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn carriages and motor vehicles.

Each of these types of public right of way is legally recorded on the Definitive Map and accompanying Statement, providing protection and legal status. Each Highway Authority is required to record such routes in this way. These comprise of a series of Ordinance Survey Maps highlighting the public right of way, together with individual written descriptions. The public can view the definitive map and statement for a particular area by making a prior appointment with the relevant Highway Authority.

Who is responsible for Public Rights of Way?

The majority of public rights of way cross private land: therefore both the landowner and the local highway authority share the responsibility for them.

Throughout Merseyside there are dedicated officers employed by highways authorities to manage the public rights of way network. Links on this website will take you to their web pages where they can be contacted.

However responsibility extends much further than this because as users we all have a responsibility towards ensuring we use them in a responsible manner. It is important to remember that the land surrounding public rights of way is privately owned so it essential to ensure that our actions do not create problems for the landowners and other users.

To find out more about rights of way in each district please click on the relevant link below.