Staffordshire has over 4,500 km of public rights of way. The council and its partners work to protect and maintain these paths, so everyone can enjoy them. Because resources are limited, the rights of way team focuses on the routes and issues that offer the most benefit.
We work with landowners, parish councils and user groups to protect the public's right to use and enjoy the network.
Every footpath and bridleway matters, but limited resources mean the rights of way team must focus efforts. Each route is assessed using nine criteria, like demand and access to local services, and placed into one of three categories: A, B or C. Each category has a different response time depending on the issue. For example, a missing fingerpost on an A category route will be dealt with sooner than a missing fingerpost on a C category route. If an issue is likely to cause serious harm or injury, we will respond immediately, no matter which category the route is in.
The rights of way charter (PDF, 367.45 KB) sets out the standards that we aim to meet when we have received an enquiry. These are target standards, but they depend on other factors:
- Staff availability
- Budget
- Weather
- Ground conditions
- Site access
- Environmental factors