Please complete our application form if you want to apply to divert a public path. You will also need to attach a plan detailing the land you own and the route of the proposed diversion.
We recommend that you contact us first to discuss the proposal with a warden to ensure that the new route meets legal requirements. A plan will then be prepared for your approval and informal consultations undertaken. If no objections are received the order will be advertised in a local paper and notices erected on site. However, if objections are received the proposal may need to be referred to the Public Rights of Way Committee who will decide if the diversion should be progressed or turned down.
When the order is published, providing there are no objections, it will be confirmed and the route legally diverted. It is possible that following the publication and subsequent advertisement there is an unresolved objection which could lead to a public inquiry or hearing. This could result in a decision not to confirm the order, under which circumstances the applicant is still liable for all the costs detailed below.
Costs
Our charge for carrying out the informal consultations is £500 and, if an order is published, a further administration charge of £700 will be made for preparing the order. In addition, the cost of the two press advertisements must be met which is likely to be in the region of £400 each. The applicant is also required to bear the costs of bringing the new path into a fit condition and any compensation that may become payable to other landowners.
Public Rights of Way
Great Moor House
Bittern Road
Sowton
Exeter
EX2 7NL
Email: prow@devon.gov.uk
Tel: 0345 155 1004