76% of rural rights of way are easy to use and 66% are well signposted from the road, according to a report by the Audit Commission. Yet this is a very long way from the target set of having a fully joined up rights of way network by the year 2000.
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RURAL AREAS MISS THE MARK ON RIGHTS OF WAY - 12th January 2001

76% of rural rights of way are easy to use and 66% are well signposted from the road, according to a report by the Audit Commission. Yet this is a very long way from the target set of having a fully joined up rights of way network by the year 2000.

Commenting on the figures Richard Wakeford, chief executive of the Countryside Agency, said: "This is a disappointing report. All rights of way in England should be properly maintained, fully recorded and well publicised. It is bad news that eleven local authorities, including two counties, report that less than half of their rights of way are easy to use. The public deserve better than this. On the other hand it is encouraging that 17 authorities report that more than 95% of their rights of way are easy to use. The Countryside Agency is undertaking a comprehensive survey of the condition of the rights of way network and will report on this later this year. 

"It is also important for urban dwellers to be able to get to the green spaces in and around where they live. They need well maintained and accessible rights of way in towns and cities too. Urban local authorities need to invest more resources to ensure that their local rights of way meet the needs of the public. Although it is good news that 79% of rights of way in London Boroughs are well maintained, with only 48% being well signposted it can be rather hard to find them!

"Many thousands of rights of way are still not recorded. There is a real challenge to authorities and others to find these routes and to make sure they are properly recorded, otherwise they will be lost forever."

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Among the best performing rural areas are: 
• Isle of Wight with 96% of rights of way signposted and 93% well maintained; 
• Buckinghamshire with 96% well signposted and 69% well maintained; 
• Devon with 88% well signposted and 89% well maintained; 

This shows what can be done, while some of the worst are:
• North Lincolnshire with 78% well signposted, but only 45% well maintained; 
• Cornwall with 62% well signposted, but only 47% well maintained;
•Rutland with 84% well signposted, but only 43% well maintained.

Notes to Editors

For further information contact Nigel Ellway or Julia Cropley at the Countryside Agency on 020 7340 2907/2909 

website www.countryside.gov.uk 

The Countryside Agency is responsible for advising government and taking action on issues affecting the social, economic and environmental well-being of the English countryside.