Public Footpaths

Jon Jones made this Freedom of Information request to Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

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Dear Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council,

Lawful rights of an Authority registered Public Footpath for example in respect of the following footpath where matters have come to light needing clarity:-

Public Footpath 14/27/1

Previous planning conditions imposed in this area in respect of footpath 14/27/1 with conditions:-
(1)There shall be no access for the development either vehicular or pedestrian to the Public Footpath running to the East of the site.
(2) Reason:- to protect the Public Footpath and to prevent multiple access.

A)Do you the Authority have any jurisdiction over the footpath in question at all? If yes what does this cover?

B)Or is it automatically the Authority has jurisdiction over the footpath due to its registered records as a Public Footpath and being used by members of the Public.

C) The Authorities priority is to safeguard the Public using the footpath for its legitimate reason of its registration by the Authority?

D)Who has priority when traversing the footpath a) members of the Public on foot using the footpath in the authority's capacity? or b) people in Vehicles attending business premises?

E) What are the laws in respect of Public Footpaths?

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Jon Jones

FOI Team, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

6 Attachments

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request received 8^th March
2023.  If we require any clarification or further details from you in
order to deal with your request, we will contact you as soon as possible,
if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact this team.

 

FOI Team

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Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

Many thanks for your email of 07/03/2023 which will be forwarded to the
appropriate officer for their attention and they will reply to you within
the next 20 working days. In the meantime, if you wish to contact us again
on this matter please quote reference no. 961982.
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Diolch o galon am eich e-bost dyddiedig 07/03/2023 a fydd yn cael ei anfon
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Jon Griffiths, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

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I refer to your recent FOI request regarding Footpath 14/27/1

 

I am advised by the Planning Section that all planning applications are
available publicly on our website, these can be searched via address or on
the map function.

https://planningonline.npt.gov.uk/online...

Copies of decision notices can be purchased via our land charges section.

 

I can confirm that the Authority is responsible for maintaining the right
of way and ensuring that the public can use it.

Though this does not extend to ensuring that motor vehicles can use the
path.

It is an offence to drive a motor vehicle along a public footpath without
lawful authority. Though if there were access rights attached to a
building or land this would be lawful authority and it is worth mentioning
that access rights can be acquired through use as well as it being
identified on property deeds.

 

When it comes to who has priority when using the public footpath, it is
accepted that the higher status should give way to the lower status, so a
car should give way to a pedestrian.

The Police are the body who would be involved should there be any motoring
offences and when it comes to apportioning blame, the courts ultimately
would decide if there was blame, should an accident occur.

When it comes to advising on what are the laws in respect of public
footpaths, I regret that there are so many acts of Parliament and case law
that I am unable to detail all of them.

However, I would suggest the Highways Act 1980, Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981, Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Road Traffic Act 1988 may
be a good starting point.

 

Yours

 

 

 

Jon Griffiths
 
Rights of Way Officer  / Swyddog Hawliau Tramwy

 
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council/ Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol
Castell-nedd Port Talbot Tel/ Ffôn: 01639 686199
 

We welcome correspondence in Welsh and will deal with Welsh and English
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