Your ref: 
 
 
My ref: 
523035 
Date: 4.12.09 
Contact: ES 
Business 
Support 
Direct Dial: 
01223 715669 
Fax: 
 
 
E Mail: 
[email address] 
Office of Environment Services 
 
Executive Director, Brian Smith 
 
By Email 
 
Mr Ben Harris 
Box No. CC1307 
[FOI #23450 email] 
Castle Court 
 
Castle Hill 
Cambridge 
CB3 0AP 
 
 
  
Dear Mr Harris  
 
Environment Information Regulation(EIR) Request – Information Supplied 
 
Thank you for your recent EIR request received 20 November 2009, asking if the “signs on 
Christ's Pieces and New Square are placed to indicate the effect of a statutory provision, and 
if so, identify the provision or provisions in question?” 
 
We cannot find any TROs related to this however I have been advised by our Countryside 
Access Team that most of the paths running over Christ's Pieces, and one of them running 
over New Square, are recorded public footpaths. See attached pdf. The County Council does 
not own the land over which they run. 
PROW - Christ's 
Pieces-New Squ...
 
We do not deal with byelaws - if any exist they would have been probably have been done by 
the City Council. 
 
The following is the advice we would also give to anyone querying what rights exist in relation 
to the paths; 
  
It is a civil offence to cycle on a public footpath, which would be committing trespass against 
the landowner. A landowner would be entitled to erect 'No cycling' or other signs to advise 
users as to how to behave on his land.  
 
Following the coming in to effect of the Natural Environment & Communities Act 2006 it is 
possible to claim public rights on bicycle for 'restricted byway' status either upon proof of 
twenty years' use with no lack of intention to dedicate by the landowner/s (sometime less 
under common law depending on the nature of use). A formal application would have to be 
made under s53 Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and any such evidence would have to be 
assessed along with all other evidence such as signage, which could demonstrate a lack of 
intention to dedicate under s31 Highways Act 1980. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chief Executive Mark Lloyd 
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk

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Anna Keech  
Business Support Officer 
 
 

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