Public Footpaths: Motor Vehicles

(asked on 15th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is able to take steps to prevent off-road vehicles causing damage and disruption to footpaths in rural villages.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 23rd March 2021

Driving a motorised vehicle on a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway without the landowner’s consent is a criminal offence and enforcement is a matter for the police.

An offence under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 may have been committed if damage is caused.

The maintenance of public rights of way is a local issue. Local highway authorities have statutory duties to record and keep public rights of way open and it is the authority’s responsibility to prevent the stopping-up or obstruction of public rights of way.

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