Main heading

'Milestone Statement'

In 1994 the Countryside Commission - one of the forerunners of The Countryside Agency - urged local authorities to set out their programme for the improvement and management of Public Rights of Way in a "Milestones Statement". This was to help the Commission achieve its objective of having the entire network of rights of way in England in good heart by the turn of the century.

Cheshire was the first authority in the country to have prepared and adopted a "Milestones Statement". The Statement sets out targets under three headings:

•  Legally Defined: All areas should be covered by a definitive map and statement that correctly records the line and legal status of all highways required to be shown on the map.
•  Properly Maintained: All public rights of way (PROW) should be open and available for use, so that any user is able to:

1. Find the start of any PROW
2. Follow the line of any PROW, if necessary with the help of waymarks, a guide-book or the Ordnance Survey map 
3. Use any PROW, in accordance with its legal status

•  Well Publicised: The authority should have a programme in place to develop and promote a range of routes for different types of path user (meeting the criteria set out in the former Commission's 'Paths, Routes and Trails'). 

• signposting & waymarking
• major structures
• recreational trail development

This information is also published in the summer edition of the twice yearly 'Cheshire Signpost' newsletter, available free from the Public Rights of Way Unit.