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Public Rights of Way

Telephone: 0845 603 7631

Creating a Public Right of Way

The Definitive Map is a record of Public Rights of Way (PRoW) that already exist.

Existing Public Rights of Way may be modified or amended for a number of reasons, either temporarily or permanently. For information on this process, visit Changing a Public Rights of Way page.

New Public Rights of Way are added to the existing network following a successful application. The creation of all new public rights of way is discretionary, and Essex County Council has no obligation to create new public rights of way. However, the creation of new public footpaths, bridleways and byways is central to the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP).

The document Procedure and Policy for Public Path Creation outlines the way in which new public footpaths, bridleways and byways are created.

For further information about the creation of new public rights of way, contact the PRoW team.