Parish Paths

Residents who attended the Village Meeting in March 2016 will be aware that on 1 January 2026 any footpaths and bridleways that existed on 1 January 1949 but are not yet on the definitive map held by Cheshire East Council will be 'extinguished'  and no longer be considered rights of way.

Whilst the cut-off date may seem a long way off, it is important that we can be sure that all our footpaths – especially those shown on the OS maps as 'other routes with public access' (ORPS), routes straddling local authority boundaries and any other anomalies are identified and logged with the local authority to ensure that the paths remain open for future use.   

Whilst we are confident that the main paths up to the Shropshire border are recorded, when they reach the County boundary there are no Footpath signs, the path is often fovergrown and inaccessible to walkers. 

One keen walker has already raised the issue of a path from Adderley to Coxbank which has been removed from the rights of way map by Shropshire Council and representations have been made by the Ramblers Association and Audlem Parish Council to get the path reinstated in advance of 2026.

Additionally, there are all sorts of little walkways used around the Parish which may not be on the definitive paths map, or a regularly used 'ginnel' may have a small gap between the path and the road which could potentially be closed off if not identified over the next 10 years. 

Unfortunately the definitive paths map cannot be viewed on line: it involves a trip to the Council offices to inspect it. The Parish Council and Audlem Ramblers Association are proposing to set up a small working group to look into this matter and would welcome hearing from any resident who would like to get involved in this project.   

Please contact Kirstin Dixon, Parish Clerk on:
audlemparishclerk@gmail.com or on 01630 658456 if you are interested.   

We will keep residents informed of progress via the Newsletter and AOL.

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