PPS 8 Open Space Sport and Outdoor Recreation·Page 40·C3
Public Rights of Way and Access Powers
District councils have a statutory duty to protect and maintain public rights of way and discretionary powers to repair, create, divert or close paths and make access agreements under the Access to the Countryside Order 1983.
Under the Access to the Countryside (NI) Order 1983, district councils have a duty "to assert, protect and keep open and free from obstruction or encroachment, any public right of way...." They are also given discretionary powers to repair and maintain rights of way, to create, divert or close public paths and to make access agreements or orders to open land.
Source — /Users/richardhill/Documents/planning-arch-project/data/documents/regional/PPS 8 - Open Space Sport and Outdoor Recreation.pdf