Brighton & Hove City Council is responsible for the public rights of way around our city including:
Brighton & Hove City Council will continue to be responsible for rights of way in the South Downs National Park that fall within the authority boundary.
Brighton & Hove City Council has duties under the Highways Act 1980 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to make sure all rights of way are free from obstructions or other nuisances preventing or deterring the public from using a path. These duties include:
All public rights of way should be open and able to be used by the public.
To report a problem:
You can use the paths and green spaces access map to plan a trip around Brighton & Hove, taking in the beautiful South Downs National Park, coastline, and cityscape.
The map includes:
Brighton & Hove City Council has adopted the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (2017 to 2027). The plan sets out how the authority intends to improve provision over the next 10 years for:
Brighton & Hove City Council will be working with the Brighton & Hove Local Access Forum and partners to deliver the aims and objectives set out in the:
Cityparks:
Brighton & Hove City Council works to provide the least restrictive access possible, for example, replacing stiles with gaps or gates.
Cityparks:
Land manager:
Cityparks:
Land manager:
Cityparks:
Land manager:
This map shows all public rights of way in Brighton & Hove that fall into one of the following categories:
Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) are open to all classes of traffic including motor vehicles, although they may not be maintained to the same standard as ordinary roads. In some cases, these byways may have Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) on them, restricting vehicular access.
Inclusion on the map is accepted in law as evidence of the existence of the right of way. Rights of way shown on other maps, such as Ordnance Survey maps, are based on the definitive map.
Only the paper copy has legal status.
An online version of the rights of way map is available. The information contained on the online map is regularly updated and maintained but may not be accurate. It does not constitute a definitive statement as to the status of any particular highway.
If you require a more detailed plan and accurate information:
To view the definitive map and statement of rights of way:
Anyone has a right to apply for the definitive map to be corrected if they believe there to be an error on the map or information missing.
Contact us for an application form if you wish to make a Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO).
View copies of the applications for amendment currently registered with us.
There are no current Public Path Orders in process in the Brighton & Hove area.
If a public right of way is going to be affected by a development, it can be diverted or stopped by a Public Path Order under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
If there are no planning issues, but the landowner would like to move (divert) or delete (extinguish) a public footpath, bridleway, or restricted byway on their land they can apply to Brighton & Hove City Council for a public path diversion or extinguishment order under the Highways Act 1980.
The criteria to be met are strict and, due to the public consultation element, it's often quite a lengthy process.
If a public objection is received it can only proceed by referring it to the Planning Inspectorate. This may result in a public inquiry. Brighton & Hove City Council can also make Public Path Creation Orders and agreements. Most of these orders are funded by the applicants.
View copies of Modification Orders.
Under s119 of the Highways Act 1980, before making an order, the council needs to be satisfied that it's in the interests of the owner/occupier of the land and/or the public users of the path to be diverted.
The council also needs to be satisfied that the proposed route will not be substantially less convenient for the public to use than the existing route.
Other considerations include:
Under s257 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, this power is used if the council is satisfied that a path should be diverted to allow for development to be carried out in accordance with planning permission.
However, planning permission alone does not automatically lead to a diversion order. The council must consider any disadvantages to users of the route because of the change
Under s118 of the Highways Act 1980, before making an order, the council needs to be satisfied that the path concerned is not needed for public use.
We need to consider:
Consideration can also be made of any concurrent creation orders/agreements or diversion orders, which may provide an alternative route.
Under s257 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. This power is used if the council is satisfied that a path should be stopped up to allow for development to be carried out in accordance with planning permission.
However, planning permission alone does not automatically lead to a stopping up order.
The council must consider any disadvantages to users of the route because of the change.
Under s26 of the Highways Act. Before making an order to create a new footpath, bridleway, or restricted byway the council must be satisfied:
The effect on the rights of those people with an interest in the affected land must be taken into consideration.
Under s25 of the Highways Act 1980. This is where the council enters an agreement with a landowner for the dedication of a new footpath, bridleway, or restricted byway.
The council must receive proof of land ownership before an agreement can be entered into.
If a path is used by the public over an extended period, it can become a public right of way (see DMMOs, above).
If a landowner wants to prevent additional public rights of way being established on their land, they can deposit a map and statement with us, showing recognised public rights of way that they admit exist over their land and make a statutory declaration confirming that no new rights of way have been dedicated. This will need to be renewed every 20 years.
To make a deposit in respect of your land send an email to cityparks@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
Landowners may wish to install other measures, like signs, to challenge any unauthorised public access on their land.
Rights of way law is a complex area and landowners are advised to take their own independent legal advice on any issues that may affect their land.
The Section 31(6) deposits registered with Brighton & Hove City Council since 2010, under Section 31(6) of the Highways Act 1980 are detailed on this register.
View, print or download the Brighton & Hove Section 31(6) Register.
Below are copies of the statements and declarations registered with us:
Brighton & Hove is surrounded by many areas of open-access land available to enjoy on foot. Much of this land is crossed by rights of way and other paths.
Combined, the areas total 650 hectares (1600 acres) managed for local wildlife and people.
Open access allows people to roam anywhere across the land, except where there are farmed crops. You should still observe signs and follow the Countryside Code.
Over 220 hectares (545 acres) of this access land is statutory "open country" mapped under the Countryside & Rights of Way (CRoW) Act. This is the highest percentage of the total area of any local authority in South East England.
Maps of Countryside and Rights of Way Act access land can be found on the Natural England website.
For practical reasons, some areas of access land in East Sussex can only be reached via Brighton & Hove.
Another large area of Open Access land has been created by the council on the South Downs, north of Patcham. View the draft map of open-access land.
The area is 282 hectares (670 acres), roughly ten times the size of Brighton’s Preston Park. It adjoins existing open-access land the council created in and around Stanmer Park in 2006.
In addition, 8 kilometres (5 miles) of new footpaths and bridleways have been created through rolling grassland.
The ability to roam off paths means walkers on the Sussex Border Path can divert onto a route which keeps them further away from the busy A23.
The landscape includes the Chattri monument to Indian soldiers who died in the Royal Pavilion hospital from First World War injuries.
Other features are ancient burial mounds on top of Tegdown Hill. These burial mounds show evidence of long use of the landscape by humans.
The names Tegdown Hill and Ewe Bottom echo its history of sheep farming, tegs being young sheep. Also clearly visible are lynchets which are terraces formed by ploughing dating back many centuries.
Works have included:
There are large areas of open access land at:
The aim of our Adopt-a-Path scheme is to help increase people’s use and enjoyment of our public rights of way network. People who use the same paths regularly are encouraged to join the scheme. As a minimum, we encourage members to survey the route at least 4 times a year or once every season.
If you have a regular route you enjoy taking and want to help us look after it, register by sending an email to cityparks@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
To support the scheme, you can:
You can also help with cutting back vegetation from signs, stiles, and gates. We appreciate that not everyone will want to carry out this work, but there's an opportunity for those that do.
To help you support the scheme, we will:
For more information read the Volunteer Path Warden leaflet (PDF 545KB).
Funding has been awarded to Brighton & Hove City Council by National Highways under their Designated Funds Scheme for feasibility studies on 3 projects:
These pages provide a summary of the 3 project proposals (being run alongside each other as they are linked).
The Feasibility Studies have been awarded to Jacob's consultancy. This is the first stage of stakeholder engagement and there will be further opportunities to feed into the process as the proposals develop.
These routes and junctions are recognised in the Rights of Way Improvement Plan and the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan as key areas for access improvements.
Working in partnership with the National Trust and the South Downs National Park, the Access for All project led by Brighton & Hove City Council proposes to improve access for non-motorised users from Brighton & Hove to the South Downs.
The A27 dual carriageway divides the urban communities of Brighton & Hove from the green space of the Downs. The scheme would deliver:
£70k has been awarded for the feasibility study by National Highways.
It's estimated that the total build of the project will be around £2.9 million. This includes assessing the potential for improvements to the A27 junctions at Ditchling Road/Coldean Lane and Carden Avenue for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Ditchling Road South multi-user path has already been upgraded to a solid surface by Brighton & Hove City Council.
Stanmer Park is an 18th Century designed landscaped park and estate of 485 hectares.
It's a grade II listed park and recorded as ‘At Risk’ by Historic England. It comprises a park, woodland, and farmland with many public amenities to the north of Brighton. It comprises approximately a third of the total area of parks in the city of around 290,000 people.
It's a major gateway and sits within the South Downs National Park. It's a well-used recreation site with around 500,000 visitors a year, predicted to rise to 750,000 in the next 2 to 3 years.
It has received extensive renovation through a National Lottery grant and is now more of an attraction than ever to local, regional, and international visitors. It's also a route from the city to:
In 2016 the Stanmer Park Conservation Plan stated 2 objectives:
The project will provide a grant towards the improvement of:
These routes cover 11.5km of direct access to all parts of the estate and to the South Downs beyond. This includes 7.6km of surfaced bridleway together with 2.8km of improved slip-resistant surface on vehicular access routes/bridleways plus 1.1km of new trails.
The project would join with the Access for All project, encouraging active travel to Stanmer and beyond. There's great potential to create an accessible network across the area connecting with:
This map shows the Stanmer Project areas in red and the Access for All project in blue.
NH Scheme 6 = Dyke Rd / A27 Junction
NH Scheme 8 & 9 = A27 junctions at Carden Avenue & Coldean Lane / Ditchling Rd – Old Boat Corner
NH Scheme 7 = Mill Lane crossings – not included within the remit of these projects
Brighton & Hove City Council Scheme 1 = Improvements to Coldean Lane Crossings through S106 / developer contributions (outside of these projects)
Brighton & Hove City Council Scheme 2 = National Highways related project – Coldean Lane A270 (Lewes Rd) junction improvements
£80,000 of funding has been received for the Feasibility Study. Projected costs for implementation are approximately £1.8 million.
The extensive path network in Stanmer is cut off from the city by the barrier of the A27 trunk route which dissects the historic parkland. It interrupts cycling and pedestrian access from adjacent communities into their local park and restricts those coming from further afield.
To redress this, the Coldean Lane A270 (Lewes Road) pedestrian and cyclist crossing facilities need upgrading.
The Coldean Lane A270 junction is an area with much scope for improvement. It links the extensive cycle network in Brighton running alongside Lewes Road and the cycle network running on and into Lewes approximately 7km away and southwards to Woodingdean.
This junction is important as an access point into Stanmer and the Downs via the Coldean Woods and footbridge over the A27 or to cross Coldean Lane and enter the park via Stony Mere Way. From this junction, the cycleway becomes a shared path with the footway into and alongside Stanmer.
This junction can be used for leisure visits to Stanmer and the South Downs or commuting for students and workers to the universities.
The scheme would provide upgraded and safer crossing facilities for users at the Coldean Lane A270 crossing, plus upgraded access to 5.6km of existing cycle routes (NCN 90 and 20).
In the LCWIP (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan), the junction is on identified strategic links to Stanmer Park and surrounding areas: Lewes Road (Priority Strategic Route 3) and Coldean Lane (Strategic Route 32).
£75,000 of Feasibility Study Funds have been awarded.
The budget for construction is expected to be £535,000.
Costs will be subject to the development of the design.
To provide initial feedback on these projects or for any queries, send an email to Cityparks@brighton-hove.gov.uk with the subject title: Designated Funds Projects.