Question

Are Parish Councils responsible for footpath maintenance please?

Answer 1

Footpaths that have been formally adopted as public footpaths are the responsibility of a principal authority, usually a county council.  There is usually an officer responsible, who will most likely have maps of all public footpaths and bridleways.  Local councils often help by pointing out work that needs doing, and sometimes by getting the work done then recovering the cost from the county council.  Although at present, with most councils strapped for cash, it may be difficult to get agreement on footpath expenditure.

It is possible for a local council to spend money on a footpath, if it is deemed to give a benefit to the citizens that is commensurate with the expenditure.