The Countryside and Rights of Way Panel of Staffordshire Council met on Friday 13 March 2026. The panel confirmed a definitive map modification order for a public footpath at Gamesley Bridge and rejected an application to add a public footpath between Forge Lane and Little Aston Lane in the parish of Shenstone.

Confirmation of Definitive Map Modification Order

The panel confirmed a definitive map modification order under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981¹. This order pertains to a public footpath at Gamesley Bridge, located on the B5405, connecting to the A5013 opposite Worston Lane. The decision to make this order was previously approved by the panel on 18 July 2025, and the order was published on 22 July 2025. No objections were received during the statutory objection period, leading to the panel's authorisation to confirm the order without modification.

Application to Add Public Footpath from Forge Lane to Little Aston Lane

The panel considered an application to add an alleged public footpath between Forge Lane and Little Aston Lane in the parish of Shenstone. The route, locally known as the Fieldway, runs alongside Aston Wood Golf Course and to the north of Little Aston Primary School. The application was submitted by Shenstone Parish Council based on evidence of public use.

The officer presented a comprehensive report detailing the user evidence, which included 58 user evidence forms. To establish a public footpath under Section 31 of the Highways Act 1980², evidence must demonstrate uninterrupted use for a 20-year period, as of right, with no clear indication from the landowner that the public had no right to use the route. The relevant 20-year period for this application was calculated from 1999 to 2019, as access was blocked in January 2019 by Little Aston Primary School with a locked gate and fencing.

While 15 users provided plans showing the specific route they used, and four of those had used it for the full 20-year period, the officer noted that the majority of the 58 user evidence forms lacked plans, weakening the certainty of the exact route taken. Conflicting evidence emerged regarding landowner intentions. Little Aston Primary School and Aston Wood Golf Club both indicated that private property signs were in place, with Aston Wood Golf Club stating these were erected in 2005. However, the interpretation of these signs and their effectiveness in preventing public use was debated, particularly as one sign warned of risks rather than explicitly prohibiting access.

Further complicating the evidence was the presence of barriers at Forge Lane, installed in 1998, which the school stated were locked at certain times, potentially hindering access to the alleged route. None of the user evidence forms specifically mentioned these barriers.

After considering all the evidence, including user statements, landowner correspondence, and responses from statutory consultees like the Byways and Riderways Trust and the Open Spaces Society, the panel concluded that the evidence was insufficient to establish the existence of a public footpath. The officer's recommendation to reject the application was based on the contradictions between user and landowner evidence, and the apparent actions taken by landowners to prevent dedication of the route.

Decided:

• The evidence is insufficient to add the route marked A-B on the map at Appendix B to the Definitive Map and Statement of Public Rights of Way as a Public Footpath.
• An Order should not be made to add the route marked A-B on the map at Appendix B to the Definitive Map and Statement of Public Rights of Way for the Lichfield District as a Public Footpath.