Every inch of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s footpaths outside of Bath will be surveyed in a unique project to assess the condition and infrastructure on local public rights of way.

Two surveyors will walk most of the 900 kilometres of public rights of way network using state-of-the-art handheld GPS equipment to record their findings and record every stile, gate, bridge, signpost, and pathway.

This project will help the Council to plan its on-going investment in local footpaths even more effectively because for the first time our experts will get an accurate picture of the number and condition of structures and surfaces. The modest expenditure in the short-term will benefit the tens of thousands of users who use our footpaths every year in the long-term. The Council is keen to promote walking to boost the health and wellbeing of local people, so providing a well-maintained footpath network is very important.

The project will also help the Council target improvements where they will be most beneficial, co-ordinate improvements on routes, and identify routes that can be easily upgraded to encourage people to walk or cycle on in preference to using their car for short journeys. The information could also assist in the Council preparing bids for external grant funding to improve the network beyond the funds it has allocated for public rights of way.

Anyone with feedback about public rights of way is encouraged to contact the Council – call 01225 477532 or visit www.bathnes.gov.uk and search for the Public Rights of Way pages on the ‘A-Z Inde