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Author Topic: Footpaths  (Read 10332 times)

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Steve Gribbon

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #31 on: April 23, 2018, 07:27:45 PM »
Hello Steve

I note your defence of Cllr Abell, I also applaud his decision to collect a number of options on which footpaths should be upgraded, it is more than some Cllrs  would have done in the past.  However his assumption that it was his privilege to decide which footpath should take precedence was far from democratic regardless of his knowledge. A councillor’s position is to  reflect the opinions of the residents not his own opinion of what he thinks best.

If your proposal of working groups comes to fruition, I trust this is the way you would  glean the necessary information and support the view of the majority of the Group.

Thanks for your reply CTCREP

Yes I would like to think that working groups give a good indication of which way the public is leaning, I believe that setting up such a committee then not listening does nobody any good. This doesn't mean I cannot make a decision on my own, far from it. However I do know that if we could change something for the better and prioritise then local opinion is definitely needed.

If elected my thinking would be to have (using footpaths purely as an example) an evening where people could come along to a local meeting room and discuss pros/cons etc of different routes and look at what should be given priority and why. From this decisions could be made and priorities identified. Of course I would give my own input, I have ended up on my backside in mud a good couple of times walking off Dale Road past the farms towards Chadkirk!

I hope this answers the good point you raised.

Kind regards

Steve Gribbon

CTCREP

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #30 on: April 23, 2018, 07:10:22 PM »
Hello Steve

I note your defence of Cllr Abell, I also applaud his decision to collect a number of options on which footpaths should be upgraded, it is more than some Cllrs  would have done in the past.  However his assumption that it was his privilege to decide which footpath should take precedence was far from democratic regardless of his knowledge. A councillor’s position is to  reflect the opinions of the residents not his own opinion of what he thinks best.

If your proposal of working groups comes to fruition, I trust this is the way you would  glean the necessary information and support the view of the majority of the Group.

Steve Gribbon

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #29 on: April 22, 2018, 09:08:27 PM »

Secondly Cllr Abell’s decision to collect a number of footpaths that needed repair is to be applauded, but his decision to unilaterally decide which one should have the greatest priority was far from democratic. I believe he is retiring, if so then I would hope his successor will recognise the need to consult the council tax payers  before making a similar decision.

Good evening CTCREP

In defence of Geoff I believe his decision making has always be strong for the area and his footpath choices would have always been done after due consideration.
I have always liked the thought of working groups and involvement in areas such as this, it is an approach I believe would work as people can offer a positive contribution so decisions can be made for the community's benefit, a greater feeling of belonging can only be a good thing.
Not for a moment does this mean I am in any way being presumptuous over the election result, it just means should I be elected it is an approach I would encourage.

Kind regards

Steve Gribbon

amazon

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #28 on: April 22, 2018, 08:42:44 PM »
Marveld asked if I was familiar with the path beyond dale Rd, well yes I am but probably only walk it once a year at most, partly due to its poor condition, so not up to date on its present condition. It is quite obvious that the route went through the farm originally and across a ford just below where the bridge is now. Any path between the end of Dale Road that runs alongside the river up to the bridge is obviously the result of trying to bypass the farm as other accounts are confirming.  It would be wonderful to have riverside path created by the Council but could it set a precedence, if so then every landowner in the land would be diverting footpaths and expecting the Council to make them suitable for use. Although I would still not consider this the highest priority I do wonder if the Council could consider restoring the bank under the Flood Damage fund and it would just happen to become a footpath.
Or spending some money on roads which are more important ,than footpaths .

CTCREP

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #27 on: April 22, 2018, 08:26:58 PM »
Marveld asked if I was familiar with the path beyond dale Rd, well yes I am but probably only walk it once a year at most, partly due to its poor condition, so not up to date on its present condition. It is quite obvious that the route went through the farm originally and across a ford just below where the bridge is now. Any path between the end of Dale Road that runs alongside the river up to the bridge is obviously the result of trying to bypass the farm as other accounts are confirming.  It would be wonderful to have riverside path created by the Council but could it set a precedence, if so then every landowner in the land would be diverting footpaths and expecting the Council to make them suitable for use. Although I would still not consider this the highest priority I do wonder if the Council could consider restoring the bank under the Flood Damage fund and it would just happen to become a footpath.

Randonneur

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #26 on: April 22, 2018, 03:28:27 PM »
''So the Dark Lane off-road bridleway, cycle and walking route from Otterspool to Stockport has been upgraded.  There is also a surface that horses and cycles seem to find acceptable - trust me, that's hard! - and there is some money this financial year that can be spent.  Not huge, but some.''

Afraid that was last year, what a waste of money, within months the path was impassable due to mud, so much so by January this year the surface material was removed by the Council and so we are left with a rough stoney surface, hardly suitable as a cycle route. So we now have a path with concrete edging for about a mile upstanding just enough to prevent water flowing off the path.

marveld

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #25 on: April 21, 2018, 12:40:51 PM »
We now have two problems concerning the footpath alongside the River Goyt. I do not know the legal position concerning footpaths, but while recognising that a Landowner may have a valid reason for wanting a footpath realigned the new footpath should surely be of a similar or higher standard to the one that it is replacing before it is legally accepted. 

CTREP - Are you actually familiar with the path and more specifically the re-routed section you are referring to? In my opinion, the 50 metre (approx) re-routed section at the start of the footpath at the bottom of Dale Road has always been to a standard acceptable for a public footpath. This small re-routed section is not the problem! It's the boggy bits further on that would benefit from a bit of upkeep.

 

CTCREP

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #24 on: April 21, 2018, 08:53:54 AM »
We now have two problems concerning the footpath alongside the River Goyt. I do not know the legal position concerning footpaths, but while recognising that a Landowner may have a valid reason for wanting a footpath realigned the new footpath should surely be of a similar or higher standard to the one that it is replacing before it is legally accepted. 

Secondly Cllr Abell’s decision to collect a number of footpaths that needed repair is to be applauded, but his decision to unilaterally decide which one should have the greatest priority was far from democratic. I believe he is retiring, if so then I would hope his successor will recognise the need to consult the council tax payers  before making a similar decision.

nbt

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #23 on: April 19, 2018, 03:15:49 PM »
It's interesting to note that both OS maps

http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=394500&y=389500&z=120&sv=marple+dale&st=3&tl=Map+of+Marple+Dale,+Stockport&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf

and Stockport's definitive map

https://www.stockport.gov.uk/stockport-public-rights-of-way/prow-map (search for SK6 6nl - can't provide a direct link)

show the path going through the farm buildings. It certainly make a lot more sense to me now having seen that, that occupants of the farm would oppose the path being "upgraded" in case the council insisted on rerouting it to the "correct" path
NBT: Notoriously Bad Typist

marveld

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #22 on: April 19, 2018, 02:16:46 PM »
I walked there as a child with my parents in the early 1970s, so we're narrowing the period for when the path was moved. I also remember the unbelievable stink from the farm at the time! Chickens, I think.

The old chicken shed did indeed create an incredible foul smell. I used to hold my breath as best I could to avoid the stench!! My earliest memory of the path being available to avoid the farmyard would be 1974/75 for Marple Hall School Cross Country runs. I can't say whether there was a "dual" route for a time, but we certainly didn't venture onto the farmyard.

I do know a person who assisted the farmers (Gordon and Conrad) re-route the path. He worked on the farm at the time and told me he had done this when we were chatting about the path in 2011. I don't think it's a big secret, but it's not my place to name him here!

Howard

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #21 on: April 19, 2018, 08:04:42 AM »
I remember as a kid going down to the weir many times with my friend and the path went through the farm. this would be the early sixties.

I I walked there as a child with my parents in the early 1970s, so we're narrowing the period for when the path was moved. I also remember the unbelievable stink from the  farm at the time! Chickens, I think.

the rover

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #20 on: April 19, 2018, 06:27:05 AM »
I remember as a kid going down to the weir many times with my friend and the path went through the farm. this would be the early sixties.

CTCREP

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2018, 08:19:23 PM »
Hello NBT

Re -when this happened I don't know - before the "official" map was drawn up, probably (the "definitive map" as it is known was made up in response to the Countryside act in 1949.

I know of the man who claims he did temporary work down on the farm when he was a young man and was asked to create the diversion. This would make it post 1949.

amazon

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #18 on: April 18, 2018, 12:21:29 PM »
So according to Geoff the landowners who originally had opposed the riverside path alongside the Goyt would now, according to Marveld,  probably support an improvement to the path -  it doesn't seem logical to me.

I still say the decision to upgrade a path should not be solely on the amount of mud present but on its usage, and in my opinion the paths to and through Brabyns Park should take priority.
And etherow

nbt

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Re: Footpaths
« Reply #17 on: April 18, 2018, 10:51:35 AM »
Looking at old maps, I think it's fairly obvious that the path originally DID go through the farmyard and was (possibly quite reasonably) diverted between the buildings and the river to preserve the privacy of the owners

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=18&lat=53.4083&lon=-2.0825&layers=168&right=BingHyb

when this happened I don't know - before the "official" map was drawn up, probably (the "definitive map" as it is known was made up in response to the Countryside act in 1949 - and I say "made up" as quite often the status of a track on the "definitive" map could change as it crossed  parish borders, leading to situations where a bridleway changes to a footpath then later back to a bridleway - but I digress). I think the owners were more concerned that if the laan newton Way followed the planned (and probably best) route, the "new" path may be removed and the original path reinstated
NBT: Notoriously Bad Typist