Showing posts with label Ramblers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ramblers. Show all posts

Friday 23 April 2021

Ask Mayoral and GLA candidates to support the 'More Natural Capital' proposals - details in this post


 From CPRE London on behalf of the More Natural Capital coalition

In the run up to the elections on 6 May we urge you to ask all the candidates for Mayor of London and the London Assembly to support the More Natural Capital proposals and encourage your family and friends to do likewise. Details of the election candidates can be found here: https://www.londonelects.org.uk/im-voter/candidates

More information about all the issues in the More Natural Capital manifesto and the groups involved can be found on the Wildlife and Countryside Link website here: https://www.wcl.org.uk/london-mayoral-election-blogs.asp

You can find out more about CPRE London's Ten New Parks campaign here https://www.cprelondon.org.uk/news/lets-create-ten-major-new-parks-for-london-now/

You can find out more about Ramblers initiative to promote six new green walking routes in London here: https://www.ramblers.org.uk/news/latest-news/2021/april/london-ramblers-launch-greenways-map-in-bid-for-six-new-green-walking-routes.aspx


Tuesday 25 April 2017

Residents and allies win public footpath fight with Harrow School



From the Open Spaces Society
 
Local residents, backed by the Open Spaces Society,the Ramblers and the Harrow Hill Trust, have defeated plans by élite Harrow School to move two public footpaths across its sports pitches and tennis courts.  The objectors fought the plans at a six-day public inquiry earlier this year.  The government inspector, Ms Alison Lea, has now rejected the proposals.

Harrow School which spreads over 300 acres, is one of Britain’s most élite institutions.  The annual fees are £37,350 (the average UK annual wage is £26,500).  The school wanted to move two public footpaths, officially known as numbers 57 and 58 in the London Borough of Harrow, which have for centuries run in direct lines across the land now forming part of its grounds.

Footpath 57 follows a north-south route between Football Lane and Pebworth Road.  The school obstructed the footpath with tennis courts surrounded by fencing in 2003.  For nine years, the school even padlocked the gates across another section of the path but reopened them following pressure from the objectors.

The objectors had argued that Harrow Council should make the school reopen the path, as required by law,but instead the council agreed with the school to move the path around the obstructions.  
Footpath 58 runs in a direct line between the bottom of Football Lane and Watford Road, and the school applied to move it to a zigzag route to avoid the current configuration of its sports pitches.
Alison Lea refused the proposals principally because of the impact of the changes on public enjoyment, in particular the loss of views which the Harrow West MP, Gareth Thomas, called ‘spectacular’ in his evidence to the inquiry.  The paths provide direct walking routes to Harrow-on-the-Hill with its impressive church-spire, whereas the views from the diverted routes were, the inspector said, ‘unexceptional’.

She also considered that the school had exaggerated the benefits of the proposed diversions. 
At the public inquiry, the school was represented by a QC, assisted by a junior barrister; the council was also legally represented, but the objectors represented themselves.
Appearing as objectors at the inquiry were Kate Ashbrook of the Open Spaces Society and Ramblers, Gareth Thomas MP, Harrow Councillor Sue Anderson, Paul Catherall of the Harrow Hill Trust, Brent Councillor Keith Perrin, and local residents Gaynor Lloyd, Christopher Eley, John Parker and Margaret Roake.  Others submitted written objections.

Says Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society and footpath secretary of the Ramblers Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and West Middlesex Area: ‘It has taken local people 14 years of strenuous campaigning against the might of Harrow School to save these footpaths, with their splendid views and sense of purpose.

‘Now we shall press the council again to ensure that Harrow School reopens the blocked footpath 57.  We shall be fortified by the inspector’s decision—the council can no longer avoid taking action to resolve this mess.’

Sisters Margaret and Dorothy Roake add: ‘As residents of almost eighty years standing we can testify that the footpaths pre-date much of the local built environment.  They have been actively used by local people to reach St Mary’s church or the many hostelries and other interesting buildings that make up the village on the hill.  It is natural to set one’s eye on a destination and walk straight towards it.  The proposed diversions are inconvenient and considerably longer.’

Monday 6 March 2017

Pubic Inquiry Into Diversion Of Harrow School Footpaths Finishes

From the Open Spaces Society

The public inquiry, which opened in January, into the diversion of two footpaths across Harrow School grounds, ended this week.  It lasted for nearly six days instead of the scheduled three.  The inquiry was prolonged partly because of the number of objectors to the scheme.  These included the Open Spaces Society, Ramblers, Harrow Hill Trust and many local people.

Harrow School wished to move public footpaths 57 and 58 which have for centuries run in a direct line across its grounds.  Footpath 57 follows a north-south route between Football Lane and Pebworth Road.  Unfortunately, the school built tennis courts across the path in 2003, instead of first moving the footpath.  Local people wanted the path to be reopened but instead the school sought to move the path around the obstructions.

Footpath 58 runs in a direct line between the bottom of Football Lane and Watford Road, and the school has applied to move it to a zigzag route to avoid the current configuration of its sports pitches.

Harrow Council, instead of requiring the school to remove the obstructions in accordance with its duty under section 130 of the Highways Act 1980, agreed to move the paths, but because there were objections the matter was referred to the Planning Inspectorate.

At the public inquiry, the council and the school had legal representation, but the objectors represented themselves.  Appearing as objectors at the inquiry were Kate Ashbrook of the Open Spaces Society and Ramblers, Gareth Thomas MP, Harrow Councillor Sue Anderson, Brent Councillor Keith Perrin, Paul Catherall of the Harrow Hill Trust and local residents Christopher Eley, Gaynor Lloyd, John Parker and Margaret Roake.  Others had submitted written objections.

Says Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society and footpath secretary of the Ramblers Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and West Middlesex Area:
We are united in our wish to prevent the school from moving these popular footpaths from their ancient direct routes to suit its own convenience.  The old routes have better views of Harrow-on-the-Hill one way and of the City of London the other.

They are shorter and have a sense of purpose, for those enjoying informal recreation and those using the paths to go to work or the shops.

We believe that, since the problems on these paths are of the school’s own making, it should resolve them by removing the obstructions rather than moving the paths.
We strongly hope that the inspector, Alison Lea, will find in our favour and that the paths will remain on their current routes.