Cornwall Council, as 'Highways Authority' manages public rights of way in Cornwall. These responsibilities include:
- Asserting and protecting the public's rights to use public rights of way;
- Maintaining the surface of the highway. Including a duty to control natural surface vegetation. To ensure it is suitable for passage on foot or on horse depending on the status of the path. The Landowner is responsible for cultivated crops. Please see Ploughing and Cropping on Public Rights of Way). The landowner or occupier's manage side/overhead vegetation from inhibiting the use of public rights of way;
- Maintaining bridges over natural water courses such as streams and rivers, including farm ditches. NB. if present when the public right of way was first recorded;
- Maintaining signposts where public rights of way leave metalled roads. To signpost and waymark public rights of way as appropriate;
- Reimbursing parish and town councils for maintenance of public rights of way on behalf of the Council. Please see Local Maintenance Partnership (LMP);
- Making a minimum 25 percent grant contribution to farmers and other landowners. To be used towards costs in maintaining approved stiles and gates on public rights of way. Please see Gates and Stiles Guidance Note for Landowners and Users;
- Administering the law about Rights of Way and ensuring gates and stiles can be used by the public;
- Keeping the Definitive Map and Statement under review and available for public inspection;
- To remove obstructions.
Report a Cornwall public right of way issue to the Countryside Service: Reporting issues on footpaths, bridleways and byways
