Walkers are facing obstruction on approximately 32,000 public footpaths across England and Wales. According to BBC’s recent investigation, local authorities had 4,000 more access issues on rights of way than they did in 2022, signaling an increasing neglect and abuse of the path network. A spokesperson for the local authorities said that limited funding cordons the footpath maintenance they can do. Cornwall, with 2,796 miles of public rights of way, is a popular destination for countryside enthusiasts, and Lucy Wilson, a walker, has trained as a lawyer with the aim of taking council authorities to court for failing to keep the paths unblocked. Wilson stresses that the council has a duty to take action since it is now mandatory.
Head of paths for The Ramblers, Jack Cornish, stated that blockages and obstructions were a common issue, with a lot of these issues remaining unsolved despite several reports. He said that The Ramblers were amazed by the high number of unresolved problems, with locals unaware of how to report them. Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, Kate Ashbrook, described the discovery as “shocking and growing abuse and neglect of our public path network.” She added that, in most cases, local authorities are failing to carry out their legal obligations to assert and safeguard the public’s rights in accessing pathways.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration declared the £64bn funding settlement for English county councils for the 2024/25 financial year. The funding includes improvements to maintain the condition of the public path networks. Moreover, the government plans to work with landowners to create, maintain, and improve footpaths and motivate farmers to invest in repair and maintenance.
To help councils and national park authorities maintain public rights of way, Wales’ government is funding a £5.6m scheme over three years. Monmouthshire County Council collaborated with volunteers and landowners to secure and restore footpaths. For instance, volunteer groups report issues to their online mapping system to be addressed as soon as possible. These efforts have resulted in the reporting of more than 15,000 issues the previous year, but currently, 181 active footpath problems are being addressed out of its network of 1,031 miles
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