A public meeting is to take place for people who may be affected by possible changes to rights of way laws.

The event has been arranged by Councillor Peter Corkindale, who chairs Keighley Town Council’s planning committee.

He wants to raise awareness of the implications of a document drawn up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The meeting will take place in Keighley Civic Centre, North Street, at 7pm on Tuesday, October 16. Light refreshments will be provided.

Coun Corkindale said: “The aims are to organise a response to the new Defra proposals, in which they have offered assistance to people who wish to enhance, upgrade and improve public rights of way in the area. These include bridleways as well as footpaths. There is provision to register currently unregistered but well used rights of way, as well as to allow land owners and developers to close registered ones that are no longer used.

“Anyone who uses or wants to use these, in some cases ancient rights of way, or if they simply want to make a fair point, should come along.

“The proposals are being looked at over a long time period, 2026 being the cut-off point, but funding runs from May 2012 to May 2014, or just until it runs out, so we need to get our skates on if we wish to apply for money to upgrade some of the worst of these rights of way.”

People attending the meeting should go to the civic centre’s main entrance. If possible, they should confirm attendance in advance by e-mailing Coun Corkindale at cllr.corkindale @keighley.gov.uk.