Footpaths Index

	Cornwall Council's Definitive Map exposed. Its an even greater threat to Cornish RoWs than neglect RoWs, properly recorded on the DM, are secure even if neglected. RoWs omitted or misrecorded will be lost.

	A study of Cardinham DM (a typical rural parish) follows.

	The Problem The DM, which dates from the 1950s, has dozens of errors including 19 cul-de-sacs which are really through routes. Neither CC, or Cardinham Parish Council has ever tried to correct a single error.

	Why is it a Problem? Landowners are misinterpreting the DM, and using errors on the DM, to "legally" obstruct RoWs.with the apparent support of CC.

	What are we Doing about it? We are presenting Modificatin Orders to CC. This forces CC to admit it cannot sustain the errors

	What can you do? 1. Don't believe your DM. Look for errors and silly cul-de-sacs. Then look at the evidence and ask CC for theirs. 2. The number of errors on all those Parish DMs must be huge. We have dozens on ours and there's over 200 Parishes! 3. Where a landowner uses a DM error to obstruct a RoW, CC is the obstructor Under Highways Act 1980 S130A, you can ask CC to remove the obstruction by correcting the error.

	These are actual cases where CC has cconceded the DM (or CC's interpretation of the DM) is wrong.

	1. Deliberate Misinterpretation of the DM by CC/Landowner.
	1.1 FP 3, Cardinham Church. Access restored to South Gate Cornwall Council had to withdraw wrong interpretation of Definitive Map which it had sustained for 7 years

	2. Cul-de-sacs Fiasco. These Paths are wrongly identified. There are 19 on the Definitive Map. C.C. loves them. The evidence is, they are through routes, not daft dead-ends.

	2.1 FP1. The ultimate cul-de-sac: 5 dead ends in a 2km length. We submitted a Modification Order to open just 1 of the 5 CC rejected our Modification Order. But we won at appeal.

	2.2 BR 32 A cul-de-sac that exposes CC's policy on the DM. Proof CC didn't show RoWs through properties in the 1950s And still doesn't in 2005! CC returned our Modification Order.