Public rights of way

C527 Signposting of footpaths and bridleways.

C1C31

A highway authority, after consultation with the owner or occupier of the land concerned, shall have power to erect and maintain signposts along any footpath F1F6bridleway, restricted byway or byway for which they are the highway authority.

2

Subject to subsection (3) below, at every point where a footpath F1F6bridleway, restricted byway or byway leaves a metalled road the highway authority shall in exercise of their power under subsection (1) above erect and maintain a signpost—

a

indicating that the footpath F1F6bridleway, restricted byway or byway is a public footpath F1F6bridleway, restricted byway or byway, and

b

showing, so far as the highway authority consider convenient and appropriate, where the footpath F1F6bridleway, restricted byway or byway leads, and the distance to any place or places named on the signpost.

3

A highway authority need not erect a signpost in accordance with subsection (2) above at a particular site if the highway authority, after consulting the council of the parish in which the site is situated, or as the case may be the chairman of the parish meeting for the parish, not having a parish council, in which the site is situated, are satisfied that it is not necessary, and if the parish council, or as the case may be the chairman of the parish meeting, agree.

C2C44

It shall also be the duty of a highway authority in exercise of their powers under subsection (1) above to erect such signposts as may in the opinion of the highway authority be required to assist persons unfamiliar with the locality to follow the course of a footpath F1F7bridleway, restricted byway or byway.

5

With the consent of the highway authority, any other person may erect and maintain signposts along a footpath F2F7bridleway, restricted byway or byway.

6

F3Section 131(2) of the M1Highways Act 1980 (destruction or defacement of a traffic sign) shall apply to a signpost erected or placed along a footpath F2F7bridleway, restricted byway or byway in pursuance of this section as it applies to a traffic sign placed on or near a highway . . . F4

7

In this section (and in the amendments made by this section in other enactments) references to signposts shall include references to other signs or notices serving the same purpose and references to the erection of a signpost shall include references to positioning any such other sign or notice.

F58

In this section “byway” means a byway open to all traffic, that is to say, a highway over which the public have a right of way for vehicular and all other kinds of traffic, but which is used by the public mainly for the purposes for which footpaths and bridleways are so used F8, and “restricted byway” has the same meaning as in Part 2 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 .