[Talk-GB] Non-definitive public footpaths/bridleways

[Tom Crocker]

Hi OSMers

I don't know if this is just a local oddity, but Bradford has a number of
signed and mapped rights of way (for want of a better term) that are
'non-definitive', i.e. not recorded in the definitive map. More detail
below but the overall question is how their status should be tagged, if at
all.

On the ground they appear to be public rights of way with explicit modern
council signage (e.g. [1,2]. They turn up in the council's online map* and
their exports for rights of way [3]. However within this they are tagged as
LEG_STAT=non-definitive. Following a couple of messages with the council,
it turns out several areas were never covered by the map but some record
was kept "of routes within those areas that it acknowledged as being public
and gives them some level of protection". They claim to have started the
process of adding the routes but it is unclear how much progress has been
made and there doesn't seem to be much prospect of completion for many
years if ever.

Examples include Cunliffe Lane (non-definitive public bridleway) [1,4] and
Pullan Lane (non-definitive public footpath) [2,5] in and around Esholt.

My current thought is that designation=non-definitive_public_footpath might
be best overall. An obvious disadvantage being the mix of hyphens and
underscores.

I think it's worth tagging specifically given the signage and claim of some
protection. I've considered a lifecycle tag, but I don't think there's
enough prospect of completion for e.g.
proposed:designation=public_footpath. I think subtagging (e.g.
public_footpath=non-definitive) is probably troll tagging as it's assumed
definitive. That said, the council signage make the on-the-ground situation
appear to be designation=public_footpath.

Are there similar situations elsewhere and how are they mapped? Any advice
on better or worse ways of handling this?

Many thanks

Tom Crocker

1. https://www.mapillary.com/app/?pKey=132266569482491
2. https://www.mapillary.com/app/?pKey=156084223660817
3.
https://spatialdata-cbmdc.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/CBMDC::bradford-public-paths-2/explore
4. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/49055538
5. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/49055529


* The council's online map also mentions that the former County Borough of
Bradford didn't adopt Part IV of the Countryside Rights of Way Act and so
didn't prepare a map. The paths are referred to as 'Bradford Public Paths'
here.
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