FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS IN HAVERSHAM AND LITTLE LINFORD By Parish Councillor: Philip Turnbull. Our extensive network of public footpaths and bridleways is one of the great things about living in Haversham cum Little Linford Parish, and will be highlighted in our future Neighbourhood Plan. Nevertheless there are gaps in the network that need rectifying; for example to ensure ease of access, and to provide links between walking routes. One of these gaps is the widely used unofficial footpath at the end of Brookfield Road and leading uphill to the public right of way at the top of the hill (see attached map). The Parish Council have applied to Milton Keynes Council for this path to be designated as part of the network of official rights of way in our Parish. This application process is known as a “Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO)”. To archive a DMMO, we need to provide evidence of continuous use as a footpath for the last 20 years, with no obstructions and no signs preventing or discouraging access. We have done this by providing signed statements from several local residents on their regular use of the footpath over many years. If you have views and opinions on this proposal by the Parish Council, please let me know (e-mail: pturnbullmk@gmail.com or telephone: 01908 314811). Also if you know of any other paths that are regularly used by residents of the Parish and are not currently rights of way then please also let me know. There is also national legislation which permits historic “lost” paths (pre 1947) to be designated as rights of way, even if not currently in use. If you know of any such historic footpaths or bridleways please get in touch. We have until 2026 to make the case for them to be added to the definitive rights of way map. After that date they will be lost forever. The current “definitive” map of rights of way in the Parish is shown on the MK Council special mapping website https://mapping.milton-keynes.gov.uk. To view it, you should click on “my maps” then type in your postcode, and under the map options select “public rights of way”.
- Barry Clift