Countryside Act 1968 - Section 27. Signposting of footpaths and bridleways
- A Highway Authority, after consultation with the owner or occupier of the
land concerned, shall have power to erect and maintain signposts along any
footpath, bridleway or byway for which they are the Highway Authority.
- Subject to subsection (3) below, at every point where a footpath,
bridleway or byway leaves a metalled road the Highway Authority shall in
exercise of their power under subsection (1) above erect and maintain a
signpost-
- indicating that the footpath, bridleway or byway is a public footpath,
bridleway or byway, and
- showing, so far as the Highway Authority consider convenient and
appropriate, where the footpath, bridleway or byway leads, and the
distance to any place or places named on the signpost.
- A Highway Authority need not erect a signpost in accordance with
subsection (2) above at a particular site if the Highway Authority, after
consulting the council of the parish in which the site is situated, or as
the case may be the chairman of the parish meeting for the parish, not
having a parish council, in which the site is situated, are satisfied that
it is not necessary, and if the parish council, or as the case may be the
chairman of the parish meeting, agree.
- It shall also be the duty of a Highway Authority in exercise of their
powers under subsection (1) above to erect such signposts as may in the
opinion of the Highway Authority be required to assist persons unfamiliar
with the locality to follow the course of a footpath, bridleway or byway.
- With the consent of the Highway Authority, any other person may erect and
maintain signposts along a footpath, bridleway or byway.
- Section 131(2) of the Highways Act 1980 (destruction or defacement of a
traffic sign) shall apply to a signpost erected or placed along a footpath,
bridleway or byway in pursuance of this section as it applies to a traffic
sign placed on or near a highway.
- In this section (and in the amendments made by this section in other
enactments) references to signposts shall include references to other signs
or notices serving the same purpose and references to the erection of a
signpost shall include references to positioning any such other sign or
notice.
- In this section 'byway' means a byway open to all traffic, that is to
say, a highway over which the public have a right of way for vehicular and
all other kinds of traffic, but which is used by the public mainly for the
purposes for which footpaths and bridleways are so used.
Section 71. Power to enter land in connection with
traffic signs
- A Highway Authority or an authority to whom section 68 of this Act applies
or the Secretary of State may enter any land and exercise such other powers
as may be necessary for the purpose of the exercise and performance of their
powers and duties of placing, replacing, converting and removing traffic
signs or their powers and duties under section 69 of this Act.
- In this section 'traffic signs' includes signposts for footpaths
(within the meaning of the Highways Act 1980) and bridleways, and 'signposts'
includes other signs or notices for the same purpose.
- not included.