Section 31A Highways Act 1980 (“HA 1980”) register

"Register of declarations lodged and maps and statements deposited with local highway authority under section 31(6) of the HA 1980"

These declarations and statements enable landowners to formally acknowledge public rights of way across their land and, in doing so, create a presumption that they have no intention to dedicate any further routes across their land.

The landowner must deposit a map and statement showing the ways (if any) that he acknowledges are dedicated public rights of way. He must also deposit within 10 years (6 years if the map and statement were deposited before 13 February 2004) a statutory declaration stating that no further routes have been dedicated. A statutory declaration must then be re-submitted every 10 years to remain valid. This process will prevent the recording of additional public rights of way by “presumed dedication”; where members of the public claim a route based on their use, usually for a period of 20 years or more. Protection does not become effective until the first statutory declaration has been received. Therefore, this mechanism does not prevent the recording of rights of way arising from 20 years use where all that use was prior to the submission of the landowner’s statutory declaration, nor of rights of way whose existence can be proved by reference to historical documentation.

Any landowner wishing to make a deposit under section 31(6) of the HA 1980 should contact the Public Rights of Way Team who can provide a step by step guide.

The register can be searched by Parish or Reference Number using the drop down options below or you can view the entire register.

 

Parish

-- Acton Turville Almondsbury Alveston Aust Badminton Bitton Bradley Stoke Charfield Cold Ashton Cromhall Dodington Downend and Bromley Heath Doynton Dyrham and Hinton Falfield Filton Frampton Cotterell Hanham Hanham Abbots Hawkesbury Hill Parish Meeting Horton Iron Acton Kingswood Little Sodbury Mangotsfield Rural Marshfield Oldbury on Severn Oldland Olveston Patchway Pilning and Severn Beach Pucklechurch Rangeworthy Rockhampton Siston Sodbury Stoke Gifford Thornbury Tormarton Tortworth Tytherington Westerleigh Wick and Abson Wickwar Winterbourne Yate

Reference Number

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