A permissive path, permitted path or concessionary path is not a public right of way. It is a path (which could be for walkers, riders, cyclists, or any combination) whose use by the public is allowed by the landowner, but over which there is no right of access.
Some of the more firmly established permissive footpaths and bridleways are shown respectively as short- and long- dashed orange lines on 1:25,000 scale Ordnance Survey maps.
A permissive path is often closed on a specified calendar day each year, and is usually clearly signed as a permissive path. These are precautions to prevent any possible future claim of continuous public access along the path, which could result in it becoming designated as a statutory right of way.
Read more about this topic: Rights Of Way In England And Wales
Famous quotes containing the word path:
“The living language is like a cowpath: it is the creation of the cows themselves, who, having created it, follow it or depart from it according to their whims or their needs. From daily use, the path undergoes change. A cow is under no obligation to stay in the narrow path she helped make, following the contour of the land, but she often profits by staying with it and she would be handicapped if she didn’t know where it was or where it led to.”
—E.B. (Elwyn Brooks)