Pathfinding: An Introduction to Public Rights of Way for Planning Professionals

Introduction

Public access to the countryside is at a turning point. Following landmark cases like the Dartmoor ‘wild camping’ litigation and the rising momentum of the ‘Right to Roam’ movement, the question of who can walk, ride, and explore England and Wales has never been more alive in the public imagination and there is legislation in place to protect some of these means of access.

With the Government’s 2024 Boxing Day announcement removing the 2031 deadline for recording historic rights of way, there is renewed public energy to safeguard tens of thousands of miles of unrecorded paths used by walkers, cyclists, and equestrians. Yet, with over 8,000 applications still pending and frequent mapping errors impacting both public and private interests, the need for legal clarity and practical training has never been greater.

This webinar will provide a brief background to the registration of public rights of way, the differences between different rights of way, how to register a right of way and the sort of evidence needed, and how to make changes to the rights of way network.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• What are public rights of way?
• Navigate the registration process: Understand how they come into being
• Interpret the Definitive Map and Statement
• Manage applications for modification orders
• Understand user evidence and documentary evidence
• Plan and implement changes to the rights of way network

This pre-recorded webinar will be available to view from Monday 12th January 2026

Alternatively, you can gain access to this webinar and 1,900+ others via the MBL Webinar Subscription. Please email webinarsubscription@mblseminars.com for more details.