Issue - meetings

To consider the proposal to enter into a creation agreement for a new public footpath in the Parish of Bollington.

The Committee considered a report which outlined a proposal that the Council enter into a creation agreement with the landowners to dedicate the new path constructed by volunteers of the Kerridge Ridge and Ingersley Vale (KRIV) Countryside and Heritage Project up to the White Nancy viewpoint in the Parish of Bollington.

Under Section 25 of the Highways Act 1980, the Council had the power to enter into an agreement with any person having the capacity to dedicate a public footpath.  The Highways Act 1980 required the authority to have regard to the needs of agriculture and forestry and to the desirability of conserving flora, fauna and geographical and physiographical features. 

The KRIV project was a community initiative that aimed to retain and restore industrial heritage features that were found in the local landscape and specifically to improve public access to that landscape. The project was a partnership between local residents, Bollington Town Council, Rainow Parish Council, the former Macclesfield Borough Council, the Bollin Valley Partnership and Groundwork. 

The new path had been constructed in order to help relieve the pressure of the estimated 40,000 – 50,000 visitors who walked up to the White Nancy View Point each year.  The path comprised of approximately 199 steps faced with stone or wood and had a soil and woodchip surface.  The new path offered an alternative route to the existing right of way which climbed open hillside, thereby creating a circular route with a mix of landscape characteristics.

The KRIV Project Chairman had agreed that any maintenance tasks and costs associated with the proposed footpath would be covered by the KRIV project until June 2015.  Thereafter, any maintenance work would be resourced by the Public Rights of Way unit of the Council. 

The Committee was informed that, since the writing of the report, a letter had been received from a neighbouring landowner objecting to the footpath in its present place and raising other points of concerns including damage to a dry stone wall belonging to that landowner. The Committee noted that there was no formal objection procedure for creation agreements and suggested that the Public Rights of Way Officer met with the KRIV Project Officer and the landowner to try to resolve the outstanding issues.

RESOLVED

(1)       that creation agreement be entered into under Section 25 of the Highways Act 1980 to create a new public footpath in the Parish of Bollington, as illustrated on Plan No. HA/008, and that public notice be given of these agreements.

(2)       a meeting take place between the Public Rights of Way Officer, KRIV Project Officer and neighbouring landowner to resolve the areas of concern and an information report be brought back to the next Public Rights of Way Committee.