Warning over lost pathways across Surrey and Hampshire

More than 1,500 miles of paths could be lost in Surrey and Hampshire, unless they are registered in time by local authorities, a charity has warned.

Volunteers from Ramblers have searched maps covering England and Wales and found over 49,000 miles of unrecorded rights of way - 423 of them in Surrey and 1,115 in Hampshire.

The charity says it is important not to lose access to the paths, which were missed off the record of rights of way when local authorities drew it up in the 1950s and 1960s.

Unless they are registered by the Government’s deadline of January 1 2026, they will not be protected as public rights of way.

Ramblers has set up its Don’t Lose Your Way project to identify and record the paths that are most useful to people who live near them - for example, those which help connect communities, or which link circular routes.

Programme manager Jack Cornish said:

"We have a fantastic rights of way network in England and Wales, but we know that in some places it doesn’t make complete sense - paths that stop in the middle of nowhere or whole communities with few legally recorded paths.

"Improving and expanding our network will give more opportunities for people to access.

"These are rights of way that have been built up over hundreds of years, an important part of our collective heritage, and once they are lost, they are lost forever.

"By protecting these historic paths, we are safeguarding our landscape and our right to access it for the future."

If a path is on the Government’s definitive map, it is covered by the legal protection that public rights of way get.

This means that landowners and local authorities are responsible for ensuring that paths are maintained, clear of obstruction and signposted.

The charity said that protecting and improving the current network was key for people to enjoy the outdoors - an aspect which became even more important during the coronavirus pandemic.

Marian Spain, chief executive at Natural England, said: "Coronavirus has reminded us all of the importance of access to green spaces and footpaths, with more and more people using these precious assets to connect with nature as a way of helping cope with the restrictions on our home and working lives.

"The evidence is clear that access to nature is good for our mental and physical health.

"Natural England is kick-starting the biggest programme for nature recovery in England’s history - ensuring the natural world on which we depend is restored at a transformational scale and in a way in which people can access nature as part of their day to day lives, creating a network green spaces on everyone’s doorstep in both towns and the countryside.

"Footpaths and other rights of way are an important part of that Nature Recovery Network, which will bring huge health and wellbeing benefits."

Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Countryside and Rural Affairs, Councillor Edward Heron, said: “The County Council has a statutory duty to ensure that the definitive map and statement, which are the legal record of public rights of way, are kept up to date. This duty includes a requirement to modify the map and statement following the discovery of evidence which indicates the existence of a right of way not already recorded.

“Anyone can submit an evidence-based application to change the definitive map, whether it be to include a new public right of way or to upgrade, downgrade or delete an existing right of way, and this can be done via the County Council’s website at www.hants.gov.uk/landplanningandenvironment

“It is the County Council’s responsibility to register and investigate all applications it receives, and to either accept or refuse these as appropriate, based on the historical evidence submitted with each individual application.

“Applications are processed in date order and members of the public can refer to the Register of Applications on the County Council’s website to see the list of current and resolved claims, as well as those awaiting investigation.”