YORK residents can look forward to better foot and cycle paths within the area as the city council is chosen as a beacon authority to bring public rights of way into the 21st century.

The City of York Council is one of ten authorities selected to lead the way in developing an improved rights of way and countryside access network for residents, commuters and visitors alike.

Local highway authorities are required to show what local rights of way are available for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and people with mobility problems, and how they will improve these.

This is shown in a Rights Of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) for each area which is subject to review.

DEFRA has asked the Countryside Agency to produce guidelines for creating the plans, and the agency has selected ten authorities - including York - to produce an "exemplar ROWIP" to spread good practice.

Issues which the local ROWIP needs to address include improved information on access in York, better signposting, a more connected rights-of-way network and the potential demand for longer routes.

Bill Woolley, York's acting director of environmental and development services, presented the city's draft plan to the planning and transport panel yesterday.

He said the Government was providing £40,000 for the project this year, explaining that "a sensible and effective public rights-of-way network" was seen as a way of tackling health and transport issues.

"Public rights of way need to be brought into the 21st century and this is the means of doing that," he said.

The report is ready to be published for consultation, and the council hopes to make it available on its website along with space for comments. A copy will also be available at 9 St Leonard's Place.

Welcoming the plan, Councillor Christian Vassie said: "This represents a fantastic opportunity to transform public rights of way to something of value to people living here.

"It is clear that the weight of traffic has increased on the roads in the last 30 years. This is an opportunity we have been given on a plate to look at the entire network of rights of way to see which ones could be conserved to provide better opportunities for people living in villages commuting into work.

He said: "We have done nothing to exploit what we have - historical churches, countryside walks. This is an opportunity to put that right.

"If we don't do anything soon, rights of way that have been there for centuries will disappear forever."

Updated: 10:43 Thursday, September 02, 2004