THE British Horse Society has urged the Government to implement immediately the proposals of the Stakeholder Working Group on unrecorded public rights of way.

The society has welcomed the proposals contained in the working group’s Stepping Forward report on unrecorded public rights of way.

Many of the country’s equestrian paths could be lost if they are not recorded on the definitive map before the ‘cut off’ date – 2026.

The proposals set out in the report will make the process of submitting and recording rights of way quicker and more practical.

But it is intended that after 2026 it will not be possible to bring claims for a right of way based purely on historic evidence dating back decades or even centuries.

Mark Weston, director of access, safety and welfare at the BHS, stressed: “It is imperative that the Government implements the complete package of proposals expeditiously so that historic public rights of way can be recorded quickly before any cut off date is implemented.

“Implementation of the complete package is crucial to preserve the balanced nature of the proposals and to prevent the consensus for reform from dissipating.

“It is important that there is no cherry picking of the proposals.”

The British Horse Society, together with other members representing user, landowner and local authority interests, were members of the group.

A full copy of the Stepping Forward report can be found at naturalengland.org.uk.