| 02nd May 2006 |
| |
Now that the The
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
is fully enacted many land and property
owners are not sure how this will affect
them. The Act has given legal right of
access to approximately four million acres
of mountain, moor, heath, down and common
land in England and Wales. As well as
this there are established rights of way
enshrined in the title deeds of land and
property. These are divided into two categories,
namely public and private rights of way. |
|
| |
A public right of way is
a highway which anyone may use at any time. It
usually passes between two other highways for
example between a public footpath and a road.
Public rights of way are usually signed at junctions
with roads using a public footpath or bridleway
sign or a walking figure symbol. There are six
types that exist. |
| |
| |
Foot paths where there is a right of way
on foot. |
| |
Bridleways have a right of way on foot,
horseback and bicycle. |
| |
Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) with
the same use as bridleways but with a right
of way for all traffic. |
| |
Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPPs) which
are similar to bridleways but which may
or may not carry vehicular rights. |
| |
Restricted byways with rights for all
traffic except motorized vehicles. |
| |
Cycle Tracks which are paths with a right
of way for all types of pedal cycles with
or without right of access on foot. |
|
| |
A private right of way is
for an individual or any other group other than
the public to gain access say to a house or to
a field. Sometimes this is called an “easement”.
It allows landowners and occupiers to have access
across land that is not in their ownership.
|
| |
There is a clear distinction
between the two types of right of way. However
for the land or property owner there is a need
to know not only what the law may say but what
is contained in the title deeds for a particular
property or piece of land. This information is
available for registered land and property in
England and Wales for both the owner and user.
|
| |
LandSearch provide a service
that identifies ownership of land and property
and the rights of way and rights of access over
them for both owners and users. This is also the
starting point in providing the evidence to help
resolve any disagreements or disputes that may
arise. |
| |
LandSearch is the only independent
company to offer a complete Land Registry Service
for the whole of the UK and Ireland. We can supply
rights of way and rights of access searches, main
title deeds and plans, boundary dispute searches,
index maps, name of owner searches, history and
manorial searches, bankruptcy and company searches,
searches of property with no postal address and
more. |
| |
