Saturday, September 13, 2008

OUR RIGHT TO RIGHT OF WAY?


Brigg residents could quite easily band together to put an obstacle in the way of North Lincolnshire Council's three suggested traveller sites on Station Road, if they wish.
For years, people have been walking from Bigby Road (alongside the car lot) across the waste ground which was once the railway goods yard, behind the station, and into the Paddock.
Now if enough of them banded together and made an application to the same North Lincolnshire Council to have the route declared a public right away - and I think it meets the necessary criteria - it would cut across all three sites proposed for travellers.
It's as simple as that.
A few years ago, when we had a family dog, I used to walk this route regularly and took some photos to demonstrate the well-trodden nature of the path. I spoke to Brigg footpath warden Tony Parker and, taking his wise counsel on board, contacted relevant North Lincs staff.
They explained the procedure, which involved getting the names and addresses of other regular walkers, and submitting them to the council, for the matter to be considered.
Time then beat me, and our poor dog died, so I took things no further. But if someone else wants to take up the issue, that would be up to them. Here's one of the pictures I took. There's a selection which I'm happy to email to interested parties.
Please don't think I'm being anti-traveller.
My interest in getting the public right of way established goes back long before the traveller issue came to the fore. I just don't think this piece of ground should be developed at all by North Lincolnshire Council, be it for housing, industry or whatever. There are plenty of other pieces of scrub land around the district which could be developed - not one of Brigg's few remaining 'open spaces'.
What do you think?

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