Landowner statements, highways statements and highways declarations

Highways statements and highway declarations allow landowners to stop their land being recorded as highway on the definitive map on the basis of presumed dedication. 

Presumed dedication means if the public has used land as a way (e.g. as a restricted byway) without force, secrecy or permission for 20 years and the landowner did not interrupt that use, it could be presumed that the land is a highway. 

A highways statement or highways declaration has to be followed by a highway declaration within a 20 year period (as of 1 October 2013).