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Who looks after Public Rights of Way in Wirral?
Wirral has a network of over 122km (73 miles) of public rights of way. The responsibilities for PROW are shared between the Highway Authority (Wirral Borough Council) and the occupier of the land over which the right of way runs. The occupier may be the landowner or tenant farmer. In urban areas, the occupier is usually the owner of the property adjacent to the right of way.
The Highway Authority is responsible for:
- The protection of the public right to the use and enjoyment of all public rights of way
- The prevention of obstruction or stopping up of rights of way
- The update and continuous review of the Definitive Map and Statement, which is the legal record of public rights of way
- Signposting and waymarking rights of way
- Looking after the surface of rights of way, including the clearance of surface vegetation
- Administration of the law relating to rights of way.
Occupiers (landowners and farmers) are responsible for:
- Ensuring rights of way over their land are kept free from obstruction
- Keeping stiles and gates in good repair
- Cutting back overhanging vegetation including the side growth from hedges
- Maintaining ditches culverts and drains
- The reinstatement of crossfield paths after ploughing within 14 days of the first disturbance for that crop and within 24 hours of any subsequent operation. Field edge paths and byways must never be ploughed.
Occupiers must not:
- Plough field edge paths
- Alter the line of rights of way
- Erect fences, walls or buildings across rights of way
- Interfere with rights of way signs and waymarks
- Place misleading notices on or near rights of way, which are likely to deter the public
- Keep prohibited bulls in fields crossed by rights of way