Roles and Responsibilities
Information about the roles and responsibilities for Public Rights of Way.
Path Maintenance
Public Rights of Way, as public highways, are generally (but not exclusively) maintainable at public expense, i.e. by the Highway Authority (Bridgend County Borough Council).
This duty of the Highway Authority relates to maintaining the surface of the path to a standard suitable for the passage of the ordinary traffic of the area, e.g. pedestrians on public footpaths and horses on public bridleways and includes the control of surface vegetation (not including cultivated crops which are covered by separate legislation).
The Highway Authority is also responsible for signing the paths from where they leave the metalled highways and waymarking the paths as appropriate.
In order to meet its maintenance responsibilities, the County Borough Council is working in partnership with Town and Community Councils under the Agency Agreement Scheme.
As partners, the local Councils receive a set amount annually to take on the responsibility for trimming their local paths, for instance by paying a local contractor to carry out the work.
The landowner or occupier is responsible for controlling side and overhead vegetation to ensure that it does not inhibit the use of public rights of way. In most cases Landowners also have a duty under Highway Law to maintain stiles and gates on a footpath or bridleway in good order.
Where appropriate, Bridgend County Borough Council provides gate kits as its contribution to the cost of repair.
