The short path of c. 50 metres that use to link the Bristol to Bath Railway Path on its west side at Avon Riverside Station to the south bank of the River Avon (formally part of the Avon River Trail) is no longer accessible on foot or by bicycle.
This is because there is not a public right of way or permissive path at this location. As such the pathways immediately adjacent to Avon Riverside Station can only legally be used with the landowner’s permission.
Saltford Parish Council approached the B&NES Council Public Rights of Way (PROW) Inspector in summer 2020 about this, soon after the path was first closed. The PROW Inspector confirmed to SPC that there is no longer a permissive path at this location. The Public Rights of Way map accessible to SPC supports this.
The PROW Inspector has since placed signs on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path stating that the permissive path is closed, as well as a map indicating the section of path where there is no longer access (marked by green dots) to inform walkers and cyclists in the area of the closure of the path.
The PROW Officer has also informed SPC that in some instances a route can be legally recorded as a Public Right of Way if it has been used for over 20 years without hindrance and there is user evidence to support this. However, as this route was given as a Permissive Route this would not apply.
SPC has made the Avon River Trail aware of these changes to access from the Railway Path, and requested that the Avon River Trail updates the information on its website to accurately reflect the change in access at this location.
More information about PROW can be found on the Public Rights of Way page of the B&NES Council website. Further to the information above, any specific questions about legal rights of way can also be answered by B&NES Council, who are the responsible authority for such matters.
For up-to-date information about the location of Public Rights of Way and permissive paths in Saltford please see our location map page. This page explains how to access information about public paths in Saltford using the B&NES Council map webpage.