Registration of Right of Way

The County Council is working its way through applications to register historic rights of way before the 2026 cut-off. One affecting Paston, Knapton and Mundesley has been in the works for four years. I have now received formal notification that the County Council has decided to make an Order in this case to add the routes to the definitive map and statement as restricted byways:

The County Council was provided with a sufficient amount of historic documentary evidence showing that, when taken as a whole, the routes in question historically had the status of public roads. The Council considers that the provisions of section 67 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 will have removed the public rights for mechanically propelled vehicles over the routes leaving them with the status of restricted byways today.

A restricted byway may be used by the public on foot, cycle, horseback or with a horse and trap but not using mechanically propelled vehicles

However, section 67(5) of the NERC Act 2006 preserves the right for landowners and their visitors to use mechanically propelled vehicles along the routes in order to access their land or property.