26 December 2024 

Today, the UK government has announced it will remove the 2031 deadline to record historic rights of way in England, ending the threat to over 41,000 miles of unrecorded paths. 

After the previous government broke its promise to abolish the deadline, this decision is a welcome step forward. 

Ross Maloney, Chief Executive of the Ramblers, said “The Government’s decision to end the threat to thousands of miles of historic rights of way in England is a fantastic step forward in making sure everyone can enjoy the benefits of walking in nature. Not only are these paths an integral part of our shared heritage, but they will also have a critical role to play in the future by helping people live healthier, happier lives.

“We’re delighted that our dedicated team of Don’t Lose Your Way volunteers can now concentrate on opening up the lost paths that matter most to local communities, working with authorities to clear the backlog of over 8,000 path applications and ensuring that our world-renowned path network is protected for generations to come.”  

At a time when we should be breaking down barriers to the outdoors, both in cities and rural areas, the repeal of this deadline is a move in the right direction. The Ramblers would like to see the path network not only protected but continue to be improved, which will help more people enjoy its health and wellbeing benefits and fuel economic growth in local communities.  

While this decision is just the start, we’re pleased to see the Government demonstrate its commitment to protecting and improving the public’s access to nature. We look forward to seeing how it will better support constrained local authorities who are struggling to manage the current backlog of 8,000 path applications (and counting), and how it will collaborate with the Welsh government to deliver their long-standing commitment to saving lost paths.  

The Ramblers will continue to push for a transformational Access to Nature Bill to build on this positive news and we look forward to working with the Government to break down all barriers so that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can enjoy the benefits of walking in nature. 

 

Don’t Lose Your Way 

In 2020, the Ramblers launched its Don't Lose Your Way campaign and asked members and the wider public to find ‘lost’ footpaths – rights of way not recorded on definitive maps – before the previous 2026 cut-off for adding them. Thanks to our innovative online map comparison tool, plus widespread media coverage, over 3,200 ‘citizen geographers’ (Ramblers members and other supporters) got involved, helping to identify more than 79,000km/49,000 miles of lost paths across England and Wales in just six weeks.