My Right of Way

BOAT = Byway Open to All Traffic!!!It’s now the beginning of the ninth year of a very long story!  I remain extremely surprised that residents in Pockthorpe Lane have not objected very strongly to the possibility of traffic from the beginning of Pockthorpe Lane to Sparrow Hill. Basically Norfolk County Council are claiming that Pockthorpe Lane continues to Sparrow hill, through my garden! This is based on parish and council minutes from 1914 saying that they were going to adopt…

Read More Read More

So far I have been unable to find any information whatsoever concerning public ‘virtual‘ inquiries regarding definitive map claims.  These inquiries are not the same as planning inquiries in any way shape or form. Any planning application or objection to refusal of it, only affects the planning application. It does not involve loss of rights or devaluation to your own land or property!!! To me this constitutes legal theft.   ‘virtual’ inquiries are entirely unsuitable for those with a great deal…

Read More Read More

I can hardly believe that over a year has passed since I wrote this diary. To summarise, covid knocked any chance of my inquiry going ahead in the past year and another has been arranged for February 2022. Don’t imagine that, in the world of Public Rights of Way, you ever just forget about it for a while and take up where you left off a year later! I guess that what the ‘claimers’ do. Just pop in an application…

Read More Read More

During Covid restrictions, PINS sort solutions for for ways to continue reducing their avalanche of Public Rights of Way Inquiries, caused by the rush of Modification Orders to claim historic Footpaths, Restricted Byways, Bridleways and Byway Open to All Traffic before the cut off date of 2026. Recently, a ‘blended’ inquiry was held in Somerset. In terms of IT and facilities it was a disaster. The Inspector for PINS asked that complaints and feedback were sent to PINS. This was…

Read More Read More

Rights of Way in Edgmond Edgmond Parish has over 14 miles of public Rights of Way that provide a valuable means of access into the local rural environment.  Edgmond Footpath Group This Group emerged out of the Environment Open Day that was held in the Village Hall in 2009. The Group has jointly walked all the Rights of Way in the parish and reported back to the Rights of Way Officer at Telford & Wrekin Council using a standardised format….

Read More Read More

The reply from Lord Benyon Thank you for your letter of 17 May about public rights of way reforms.We have been working on a package of reforms to the processes for recording, diverting and extinguishing public rights of way, which includes the ability for landowners to apply formally to a local authority for a public path order to extinguish or divert a footpath or bridleway. Under provisions known as the ‘Right to Apply’, landowners will be able to make formal…

Read More Read More

A mass trespass campaign has been started by Nick Hayes, and Guy Shrubsole. They advocate that people replace ALL private and keep out signs with ‘You are Welcome’ ones. This may superficially seem a laudable request. The downtrodden ‘public’ rising up against the greedy landowner. Claiming back ‘their rights’ to the countryside. BUT…….. Do you consider that your small garden is countryside? Are YOU the greedy large landowner of a huge estate? Do YOU think that ALL groups are entitled…

Read More Read More

Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, vice-president and chair of the Ramblers expresses her own views in her personal blog. This was written in 2013, eight years ago and the same year as a claim was registered through my own garden. At that time, of course I knew nothing at all about PROW and how spurious claims could affect your life for an indefinite number of years. The comment is still there and I doubt Ms Ashbrook has changed…

Read More Read More

We have just moved into our lovely new house and so far everyone else’s ‘world’ in the village hasn’t collapsed, suffered a ‘dire accident waiting to happen, been flooded because we are using more water or had foundations of their houses irreparably damaged by numerous building work lorries. Just think, if it wasn’t for the BOAT modification order we wouldn’t have built a house and villagers would still have enjoyed a permissive footpath over the last eight years. Well, it’s…

Read More Read More