The Councils' Responsibilities
Bath & North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council have put together the OutdoorsWest website, and they have specific responsibilities in looking after the Public Rights of Way network and Access Land in their areas:
- Promoting and asserting the public's rights on public rights of way
- Maintaining the definitive maps of public rights of way - which may be inspected at the specified Council Offices
- Signposting and, where appropriate, waymarking (fixing small arrows along the route) of footpaths, bridleways and byways
- Maintaining and controlling natural vegetation on the surface of footpaths and bridleways
- Maintaining bridges over natural watercourses
- Making contributions to farmers or landowners of at least a quarter of the cost of maintaining approved bridlegates, kissing gates and stiles on public rights of way
- Producing the Rights Of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP)
- Supporting the Joint Local Access Forum