Right of ways - Disability Act

[BBH]

Hi everyone, had a visit from council yesterday about putting in kissing gates for wheelchair bound / disabled people and just want to know who's responsible for the costs and maintaining footpaths. Am getting conflicting advice. Do the disabled really bother to trek over rough terrain. Apparently the council have had a complaint, but they also own tenanted farms in our area with overgrown footpaths and no disabled access and haven't seen the need to upgrade their facilities. Does anyone know the requirements Any help appreciated.

 

[Tia]

Now I don't know if this has changed since I left England, however I had a couple of fields which had public footpaths going through them. I contacted the local authority when I wanted to alter the fencing and I told them I wanted to put in kissing gates. They said that was fine, however after I had installed typical wooden kissing gates, they came along one day and put in some new fangled galvanised steel ones which allowed wheelchair access at their own cost. I didn't care, however I really couldn't see the point as there was no way a bicycle, let alone a wheelchair could possibly make it through my fields.

I'd check with your local authority to see who is responsible for the financing of such a change.

 

[Orangehorse]

It depends upon the Council. Some will provide new gates/stiles where THEY want to.

 

[Thistle]

I would worry that something that was wide enough to allow a wheelchair to pass would also allow one of my ponies to fit through and escape.

 

[jinglejoys]

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I would worry that something that was wide enough to allow a wheelchair to pass would also allow one of my ponies to fit through and escape.

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Yes but you forget Ramblers Rights have a higher priority than domestic livestock in this country

---more votes!