Draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2026-36

Ends on 24 May 2026 (83 days remaining)

Draft statement of action

To achieve those objectives, we have set out a number of actions in the tables below. This list is aspirational – it outlines what we would like to achieve if resources, both time and money, allow. Due to the finite nature of such resources, it will not be possible to make all the desired improvements to PROW and countryside access network paths and processes related to them. Action must therefore be targeted to where it is most beneficial within the constraints of the available resources.

What can be delivered will depend on a host of influences including those internal to the Council, those within partner organisations and communities, and those on a national and even international scale – as demonstrated during the Covid pandemic.

Successful delivery and sustainability of both statutory duties funded from the Council’s own budgets and non-statutory actions funded from external sources will depend on working in partnership. This will include collaboration with land managers – with landowner agreement being key to the delivery of some actions listed – with users, suppliers, community groups and others. In some actions, the Council will be the lead delivery partner, in others it will act as the enabler.

In the following tables, the priority of the action is indicated by stars, ranging between 1 star indicating a lower priority and 6 stars indicating a higher priority.

Draft statement of action - maintain

Ref.	Action	Partners	Priority score
M1 Comment	Undertake statutory duties to maintain the network, including vegetation management, surfacing, signposting, path furniture (e.g. bridges and gates)	Land managers Volunteers User groups	*****
M2 Comment	Increase data on usage of sites and networks to inform policies	Land managers	*****
M3 Comment	Seek opportunities for other ways to maintain the PROW network, for example in partnership with local communities	Town & Parish Councils Community Partnerships	*****
M4 Comment	Expand the use of volunteering in maintaining the network through recruitment to new Volunteer Co-ordinator position to coordinate work across Green Infrastructure and partners	Volunteers Partners	*****
M5 Comment	Develop a prioritisation system for PROW network to focus resources on most valuable paths	User groups	*****
M6 Comment	Identify potential climate change adaption changes needed to PROW furniture (bridges, gates) and surfaces/drainage and manage expectations of users in condition of routes	Land managers User groups	****

Draft statement of action - improve

Ref.	Action	Partners	Priority score
I1 Comment	Review the specification design code for PROW and countryside access networks within the emerging Local Plan, referring to guidance such as Sport England’s Active Design Guide, British Horse Society guidance, Outdoor Accessibility Guidance, Local Transport Note 1/20 Cycle Infrastructure Design	Planning team	******
I2 Comment	Collaborate with land managers to promote best practice and to reduce the number of stiles on the network, by replacement with gaps or gates, in line with the emerging accessibility policy	Land managers	*****
I3 Comment	Set out a policy on acceptable specifications for PROW being diverted through legal order processes, to cover width, surface, furniture, gradient, etc. in line with the emerging accessibility policy	User groups	*****
I4 Comment	Through partnership with local communities encourage engagement with, improvement of and promotion of local PROW and countryside access network routes	Town & Parish Councils Community Partnerships	*****
I5 Comment	Develop a guide for developers to encourage early accommodation of PROW and countryside access networks in new developments, such as Handforth Garden Village, to include consideration of legal processes, landownership, capital investment, specifications and future maintenance	Developers Planning team	*****
I6 Comment	Set out a policy on how the accessibility and inclusivity of the PROW and countryside access network will be improved	User groups	****
I7 Comment	Increase the accessibility and inclusivity of the PROW and countryside access network in key geographical areas and destinations	User groups	****
I8 Comment	Identify gaps in PROW and countryside access networks that could be linked by new routes for active travel and leisure, locally and pan-borough, for example the Greater Bollin Trail aspiration	User groups Active travel teams Land managers	****
I9 Comment	Identify potential funding sources for PROW and countryside access network improvement projects	Stakeholders	****
I10 Comment	Process diversions for landowners and in the public interest, supporting the removal of paths from gardens and farmyards and away from properties	Landowners User groups	***
I11 Comment	Reduce the list of anomalies on the Definitive Map and Statement, the legal record of Public Rights of Way	Land managers User groups	***
I12 Comment	Process Definitive Map Modification Order applications ('claims' for PROW) to determination (decision), reducing the waiting list to under 12 months	Applicants Land managers User groups	*
I13 Comment	Consolidate the Definitive Map and Statement – publish a Cheshire East legal record of Public Rights of Way, to replace that from the 1950s	Land managers	*

Draft statement of action - promote

Ref.	Action	Partners	Priority score
P1 Comment	Integrate the objectives of the ROWIP in key relevant Council strategies and those of other key organisations	Council teams Partners	*****
P2 Comment	Work with colleagues on active travel and available walking, wheeling and cycling routes to school to encourage a reduction in the number of vehicle journeys	Active Travel team	*****
P3 Comment	Engage with public health teams and social prescribers to encourage the use of PROW and countryside access networks for outdoor physical activities	Health teams	*****
P4 Comment	Work with land managers to encourage responsible use of PROW and countryside access networks	Land managers	*****
P5 Comment	Promote alternative routes to help protect sensitive sites and spread visitor pressure away from country park and town park sites and to build confidence in wider exploration and discovery	Land managers	****
P6 Comment	Develop Green Infrastructure team communications plan tailored to local, regional and national audiences	Communications team	***
P7 Comment	Proactively encourage PROW social media with partners	Partners	***
P8 Comment	Refresh accessible PROW and countryside access route leaflets in a digital and accessible format, and expand to include new and improved routes, classing as ‘for all’, ‘for many’ and’ for some’	User groups	***
P9 Comment	Gather data about the features on the PROW network, such as surfaces and path furniture, so it can be shared online to help people make better informed decisions on their visit to encourage outdoor activities	User groups	***
P10 Comment	Promote routes to encourage usage to support rural visitor economy businesses	Land managers Visitor Economy team Businesses	*

For instructions on how to use the system and make comments, please see our help guide.