The Open Spaces Society, which campaigns to protect public rights of way, commons, and open spaces in Wales and England, is delighted that the Senedd has repealed the 2026 cut-off date for public rights of way in Wales.
The Legislation (Procedure, Publication and Repeals) (Wales) Act 2025, which contains this provision, won royal assent on 10 July.
The Welsh Government had included these repeal provisions in a consultation draft of the Bill in 2022, but then withdrew them following Defra Ministers’ u-turns in relation to implementation of the cut-off in England.
When the Westminster government promised on boxing day 2024 to reinstate the repeal, the society sought the assistance of the Senedd’s Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee to ask the Minister to restore the provision to the Bill on Wales.(4) Both the committee and the Minister responded favourably, and now the amended Bill has become law.
Says Kate Ashbrook, the society’s general secretary:
‘The society is proud to have been able to influence this outcome, which is of long-term benefit to the people of Wales.
‘This will save countless unrecorded paths from extinction. It would have been impossible for volunteers in Wales to apply for all the missing paths by 1 January 2026, and the local authorities, which have growing backlogs of claims to process, would have been overwhelmed.
‘It is vital that we still research and apply for lost ways, as unrecorded paths are at immense risk, but at least in Wales we are not working to a deadline.
‘Now we need the Westminster government to fulfil its boxing-day promise and legislate swiftly to repeal the cut off in England,’ Kate declares.
Feature image: Riders and cyclist on Epynt Way, Powys. Photo copyright British Horse Society
