Rights of Way Improvement Plan Statutory Consultation

Overview

Surrey County Council is responsible for around 2164 miles (3482 km) of public rights of way. These paths are both in the countryside and urban areas. They are important for enjoying and exploring, for travelling to work or school and for health and wellbeing. They are part of what makes Surrey a special place to live, work and enjoy.

A public right of way is a path that anyone, by law, has the right to use. There are four types:

• Footpaths for walking, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
• Bridleways for walking, horse riding, cycling, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
• Restricted byways for walking, horse riding, cycling, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs and horse-drawn carriages
• Byways for all modes including motorised vehicles

Every council that is responsible for public rights of way must have a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP). This sets out how public rights of way meet the needs of the public, now and in the future.

We sought the views of the public and a wide range of stakeholders between December 2023 and September 2024. This included a public survey which received over 4000 responses, one of the highest of any public survey carried out by the council. This showed us how much you value public rights of way.

We have now drafted our new Rights of Way Improvement Plan, based on your feedback and our findings. 

We would like to hear your views on the main report of our draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) 2025 - 2035. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please allow extra time to read the ROWIP. Your feedback will be used to shape the final ROWIP.

Please read the full ROWIP main report before you respond. We have produced two evidence documents which are also available to view below. These contain the evidence base for the ROWIP. Please note - we are not consulting on the content of these evidence reports.

• Evidence Report 1 – Network and Needs Analysis 
• Evidence Report 2 – Surveys and Stakeholders Report 

Accessibility  

You can find our accessibility policy here. If you have any questions, would like to request a paper questionnaire or any other format, please contact us at sccrowip@surreycc.gov.uk or 0300 200 1003.

Privacy Notice

Any personal information you choose to provide will be kept confidential and used in accordance with our privacy notice.