Shape the way we manage paths in Barnet

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This engagement has now closed.

From 31 October 2025 Barnet Engage is moving. The new home of this consultation is: Shape the way we manage paths in Barnet


We need your help to understand how you use the public paths in Barnet, now and how you want to use them in the future. Help us manage and improve paths to meet your future needs. 

Background

We are developing a comprehensive Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan and we want to understand how well our local rights of way meet the current and future needs of the community.

To help us create a plan that truly

From 31 October 2025 Barnet Engage is moving. The new home of this consultation is: Shape the way we manage paths in Barnet


We need your help to understand how you use the public paths in Barnet, now and how you want to use them in the future. Help us manage and improve paths to meet your future needs. 

Background

We are developing a comprehensive Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan and we want to understand how well our local rights of way meet the current and future needs of the community.

To help us create a plan that truly benefits everyone, we would love to hear about your experiences using various public routes. These include public footpaths, bridleways, cycle-tracks, paths within parks, open spaces, rural areas and any other paths that are not adjacent to roads. Please note that this plan does not cover pavements beside the road.

Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.


What we are proposing

In mid 2025 we are proposing to publish a new Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Barnet. This 10-year plan will shape the direction and investment into the path network across Barnet.


How to have your say:

Complete our online questionnaire

We are keen to hear how you use our public pathways and encourage you to have your say by completing our online questionnaire.

If you would like to request a paper questionnaire or another format, please:

  • email: mark.sumner@barnet.gov.uk
  • write to us at: Public Rights of Way Team, Highways, London Borough of Barnet, 2 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, London, NW9 4EW.


What happens after the consultation closes?

The council will use the questionnaires findings to inform the development of our new Rights of Way Improvement Plan and we will publish the findings on this page by 30 June 2025. We will be consulting on the draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan document later in 2025.

This engagement has now closed.

  • We Asked, You Said, We Did

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    We asked

    We asked for your help to shape the way we manage paths in Barnet.

    We are developing a comprehensive Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan and we wanted to understand how well our local rights of way meet the current and future needs of the community.

    You said

    We received 431 responses to our online questionnaire, 75.5% of which currently use Barnet’s public rights of way, with a further 12.4% having used them in the past. The main reasons cited for not using the paths was a lack

    Alongside the online questionnaire, we also conducted engagement with Barnet’s Citizens Panel.

    Results from both the online questionnaire and Citizens Panel mirrored each other on key points such as:

    • How often public rights of way are used and why
    • What information is most important to those that use them
    • What we can do to encourage more usage
    • Where residents would like to find more information
    • Specific improvements we can make to public rights of way

    We would like to thank all those who have helped us to shape the way we manage paths in Barnet.


    We did

    All feedback received from both the online questionnaire and Citizens Panel will help us finalise our final Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan. Once finalised, we will take the final version of the plan to cabinet. The final published version will be available to read on the Highways polices and guides webpage.