The Haslemere ‘Lloyds Bank’ Footpath obstruction
Early one Sunday in February 2015 a workman arrived in College Hill and erected a steel fence across the entrance to the car park at the back of Lloyds Bank, one which also provided a service entrance for the toy shop, the Entertainer. This fence prevented access to a popular public path, used for many years by parents with small children attending the nursery school in College Hill and by the many residents of the 100-year old Half Moon Estate, and beyond.
There was a clear public need for action to be taken to remove this obstruction so that pedestrians could again avoid the most hazardous part of College Hill when walking down to the town.
The Haslemere Society consulted the Rights of Way Officer at Surrey County Council and the process was set in train to have this right of way formally recorded. The making of the Map Modification Order was approved unanimously at SCC’s Local Area Committee in 2015, but the two people who claim ownership of the small area of land on which the fence was erected opposed the making of the order, so arrangements were made to decide the case by way of a Public Inquiry and this was held towards the end of 2016. More than 70 people had signed an individual statement which had been submitted to Surrey County Council giving details of their own use of the path for 20 years or more, many being members of the Half Moon Estate Residents’ Association. Many of these also testified at the Inquiry to their frequent and uninterrupted use of the path some for as long as 40 years.
The Planning Inspector issued his decision two weeks after the Inquiry, confirming the making of the order declaring the existence of an established right-of-way. Almost two years to the day after the fence was erected, a large section of it was removed to once again allow public use of the path.
This matter provides clear confirmation that civic societies such as ours perform a valuable function in helping to safeguard cherished public rights.
Early one Sunday in February 2015 a workman arrived in College Hill and erected a steel fence across the entrance to the car park at the back of Lloyds Bank, one which also provided a service entrance for the toy shop, the Entertainer. This fence prevented access to a popular public path, used for many years by parents with small children attending the nursery school in College Hill and by the many residents of the 100-year old Half Moon Estate, and beyond.
There was a clear public need for action to be taken to remove this obstruction so that pedestrians could again avoid the most hazardous part of College Hill when walking down to the town.
The Haslemere Society consulted the Rights of Way Officer at Surrey County Council and the process was set in train to have this right of way formally recorded. The making of the Map Modification Order was approved unanimously at SCC’s Local Area Committee in 2015, but the two people who claim ownership of the small area of land on which the fence was erected opposed the making of the order, so arrangements were made to decide the case by way of a Public Inquiry and this was held towards the end of 2016. More than 70 people had signed an individual statement which had been submitted to Surrey County Council giving details of their own use of the path for 20 years or more, many being members of the Half Moon Estate Residents’ Association. Many of these also testified at the Inquiry to their frequent and uninterrupted use of the path some for as long as 40 years.
The Planning Inspector issued his decision two weeks after the Inquiry, confirming the making of the order declaring the existence of an established right-of-way. Almost two years to the day after the fence was erected, a large section of it was removed to once again allow public use of the path.
This matter provides clear confirmation that civic societies such as ours perform a valuable function in helping to safeguard cherished public rights.