An historic public footpath in Brigg could be extinguished.Only resurfaced in recent months, Clothes Hedge Footpath links Yarborough Road and Churchill Avenue - and runs behind houses in St James’ Road.
But North Lincolnshire Council is concerned about the continuing high cost of maintaining the walkway, particularly the replacement of fencing which keeps being damaged.
It is suggesting one option may be to consider a closure order.
When that possibility was drawn to the attention of Brigg Town Council’s Planning and Environment Committee, chairman Coun Ben Nobbs suggested the unusual step of passing the matter on to the full council for consideration.
“It’s obviously going to cause a bit of a stir,” he explained.
In the meantime, the views will be sought of Brigg’s Footpath Warden, Tony Parker.
Ramblers, sometimes in organised groups, can be seen from time to time using Close Hedge Footpath, which is also used by a number of dog-walkers.
However, many members of the public prefer to use the conventional footpaths on O’Hanlon Avenue and St James’ Road to get between Yarborough Road and Churchill Avenue.
One theory about how Clothes Hedge Footpath acquired its name relates to washing been hung out to dry by housewives.
Housing development in the O’Hanlon Avenue area began in the 1960s.
A North Lincolnshire Council spokesman told Brigg Blog: “A public footpath can be closed if the public no longer need it.
“The footpath under discussion (FP283) pre-dates the streets that surround it.
“Nowadays it is possible to walk from one end of it to the other via either St James' Road or O'Hanlon Avenue, but that does not mean North Lincolnshire Council wants to close it - this is merely an option.
“Whether a public footpath is still needed by the public is for the public to say, not us.”
DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN NOW READ MORE INTERESTING NEWS ABOUT BRIGG AND DISTRICT BY VISITING AN EXCITING NEW WEBSITE?
brigg people
“YOURS TRULY” IS THE COMMUNITY PUBLISHER. YOU CAN REGISTER WITH THE SITE AND THEN UPLOAD YOUR OWN NEWS, SPORT AND VIEWS.
Scribs, St Helen's Road was previously known as Clothes Hedge Lane.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Victorian and Edwardian times the lane led to an extensive allotment area extending towards and perhaps to the present York Road.
My understanding is that Brigg Workhouse had a laundry and residents use to hang such washing over the local hedges and trees to dry.
As a separate issue, in the C17th, at about the time of Sir John Nelthorpe, Brigg was renowned for growing liquorish.
It would be interesting to establish where such plants where grown and whether Brigg had some sort of liquorish side-line, or were the sticks sent to other centres, such as Pontefract.
Lastly, could the up-keep of the footpath come under the auspices of the Probation Services. Is, it for example, a project that those on community service orders undertake?
Whilst it is always interesting to read about such matters in Brigg Blog, as a resident of St. James Road, it would have been nice to have been informed by North Lincolnshire Council directly about the potential closure of a pathway which runs adjacent to the boundary of my property. Having read the blog relating to this matter I can only conclude that NLC no longer wish to pay for the up keep of either the pathway or the fence which separates my property from the pathway.
ReplyDelete