National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949

46 Compensation for creation, diversion and closure of public paths

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, if, on a claim made in accordance with this section, it is shown that the value of an interest of any person in land is depreciated, or that any person has suffered damage by being disturbed in his enjoyment of land, in consequence of the coming into operation of a public path order, a diversion order or an extinguishment order, the authority by whom the order was made shall pay to that person compensation equal to the amount of the depreciation or damage.

(2) A claim for compensation under this section shall be made within such time and in such manner as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Minister, and shall be made to the authority by whom the order was made.

(3) For the purposes of the application of this section to an order made by the Minister under subsection (3) of section forty-one of this Act or subsection (5) of the last but one foregoing section, references in this section to the authority by whom the order was made shall be construed as references to the authority who, immediately before the making of the order, were, for the purposes of the said subsection (3) or (5), the appropriate authority in relation to the making of an order for the creation, diversion or stopping up of the public path or part of a public path to which the order relates.

(4) Nothing in this section shall confer on any person, in respect of a right of way created by a public path order or diversion order, a right to compensation for depreciation of the value of an interest in land, or for disturbance in his enjoyment of land, not being in either case land over which the right of way was created or land held therewith, unless the creation of the right of way would have been actionable at his suit if it had been effected otherwise than in the exercise of statutory powers.