Report a problem with a right of way
Please use our online map to report issues you find on rights of way or at our countryside sites.
Alternative, you can contact us via,
- Telephone: 0345 608 0193
- Email: Rights Of Way
When reporting issues please provide as much information as possible.
We receive a larger number of reports and cannot reply to all of them. Every report is, however, recorded and dealt with according to its priority. We are also unable to provide estimated time frames to resolve issues that have been reported.
How we deal with reports
The Rights of Way Team’s aim is to protect and maintain the 2,000 miles of footpaths, bridleways and byways in East Sussex. This is about the same length as the road network. There are also around 3,600 bridges, 6,800 gates, 5,300 stiles, 1,500 sets of steps and 12,000 signs and waymarkers. We must therefore prioritise and deal with the most urgent problems first.
How we prioritise reports
Reports are prioritised according to the impact the issue has on the public. The key factors are safety, access and how much the path is used.
- Health and safety issues which cause danger to the public.
- Total obstructions by furniture, surface obstructions or width restrictions.
- Furniture, surface or width obstructions which make access difficult.
- Furniture, surface or width obstructions which are inconvenient.
- Minor issues which appear to have minimal impact on the public.
Dealing with reports
If we receive a report where public safety may be at risk, we will try to inspect the path urgently. We will look to resolve or remove hazards as soon as possible. In some cases we may need to close the path temporarily to protect the public.
Where a new obstruction is reported, we will inspect as soon as possible. If there is no easy alternative route, we will look to remove obstructions from the path. This can generally take 3 to 6 months of the first report. Please bear in mind that this timescale can vary due to legal processes.
Where a problem does not cause an immediate hazard or total obstruction, reports are added to our database. Lower priority problems will be resolved when the opportunity arises.
Please contact the Rights of Way Team if you wish to report a problem:
- Email: Rights of Way Team
Common problems
Further information about how we deal with specific issues on the Rights of Way Network can be found in our pages, common problems.
When reporting problems to us please refer to our online map, where you can identify the path name and asset numbers for bridge, stiles and gates by clicking on the map.
Please contact the Rights of Way Team if you wish to report a problem.
- Email: Rights of Way Team
Related content
Was this page helpful?
Click or tap the rating which best represents your experience.
