Well done - what a victory. We need to protect our rights of way. I was fighting to get a bridleway opened (M463) in Wishaw that is recorded on an OS map but with no trace of it on the ground and involved the MP, Ramblers and the council to no avail - the crux of the delay was down to a farmer recieving planning permission to erect a barn completely over the exit of the would be bridleway - a mess up with the councils planning department.......still on going.....

Well done Matt!!! I'm so pleasee that you and your mates defeated the !!!!!!!!!!!!!

David

Good news!!!

Well done.

Peter

You will be pleased to hear that members of the community won their objection to the closure, the application was refused by the public rights of way officer/committee.
A result for all of us and good to feel that all the hard work and letter writing was worth the effort. I beleive they are now going to properly sign and re-instate the footpath. Matt.

We only moved here in April, so I don't know the full history of the path or it's use, but I believe it has been reported to the footpath officer as blocked, who stalled by saying they wouldn't do anything as the path was under dispute! I think people have been through in the past but facts are hard to glean at this early stage.

No farmers involved (for once), at either end of the path are houses belonging to professional persons who don't want walkers going through their property. The path is mayby 1/4 mile long and the third side of a triangle - the other 2 sides being road - and it goes to the centre of the village. There are no footpath signs either end (quite normal round here in the depths of Wales) and one owner keeps a number of large dogs loose in his yard, which are quite intimidating and immediately put people off going through. A local who walked it yesterday was nipped by one of them, great start!

The security and safety issue is the house owners concerns, I shall mention the fact that Dyfed-Powys area has the lowest crime rates in the whole of England & Wales, they can't go anywhere safer or more secure! Needless to say, the instigator of the whole thing is one of "those people" in the village who has managed to fall out with just about everyone and is fairly shunned by all.
Matt.

Matt. I misunderstood the issue of personal safety and security to refer to walkers, but clearly it's the farmer's that is being raised. The fact that the path is blocked already is a major problem if there have not been any complaints about this. I think you need to contact the appropriate section at the council and complain about the illegal blockage as a separate and parallel task. You've got good reasons for wanting the path kept open, to avoid the busy road. You haven't said how long the path has been blocked, but you and the other objectors need to emphasise that they were using the path before this happened and a valuable amenity has been lost. Contact the Ramblers Association and any other walking clubs, write to your local paper and do what else you can to publicise the objections.

Fully agree

And once they are gone, they are gone forever.

Good luck

Thanks for that, it will help me in composing the letter of objection - which points to raise etc. It is one individual who has put in for the closure (official notice on his gate) as the path goes through his property. It hasn't been used much on account of it is completely blocked (by him) and he keeps a large number of dogs loose in his yard, intimidating potential walkers.
I think the blockages have been reported to council previously - so that should be logged somewhere, I hope.

A number of locals are sending in letters of objection and feel strongly about the possible closure, this being a keen walking area and the path does serve a purpose, saving a (dangerous) road walk around the village. Personally I have no objections to a diversion around someones property, I get no pleasure from walking through the middle of someones yard, but a full footpath closure is not on. Matt.

The official notice should tell you how and where to submit an objection, but if not, then contact the local council. Then it's just a question of arguing against the reasons put forward. The Open Spaces Society / RA book Rights of Way - A Guide To Law An Practice would suggest making your own survey of the path regarding muddiness, safety and security (photos and a map might help here); working with other objectors (you may need to ask round to find out who these are); summarising information on the number and frequency of users; saying how important the path is to the right of way network in the area (e.g. what is it used for; is it used for any events; is it on a published trail; does it connect the village to a trail or to an attraction; is it used for a walk in a guidebook). I think basically you've got one person, probably not a walker, who wants to stop up the path and has thought how they can do so. You need to find a lot of people who use the path and want to keep it open, not as one objection by ten people, but ten individual objections. Plus you are an experienced walker, so you can say the path is not particularly muddy or unsafe compared to others in the area and point out that it does have a use. Say why it is muddy and how it could be improved. Contact the Parish Council, County Councillor and MP for support and suggest that they object also. Good luck.

Does the ldwa have any advice on objections to persons attempting to close public footpaths? Some people in our village have put in for a complete closure of a footpath (not a diversion, a total closure) and our objections have to be submitted very soon - any advice appreciated.

Grounds for closure are: The footpath is muddy. There are no good views. There is no historcal interest. Personal safety. Security.

Total load of cobblers, but need to want to get objection correct. Matt.