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Archive => Archived Boards => Local Issues => Topic started by: CTCREP on April 11, 2018, 06:34:27 PM
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I have started a new topic as footpaths cover a wide area of interest. It has resulted from efforts I have made to get the route through Brabyns Park acceptable for ordinary pedestrians, the need for a pedestrian footbridge over the river Etherow at Compstall, and the lack of maintenance of Etherow Country Park.
In all these issues the Council’s fall back excuse is lack of money.
Last year the track between Roman Bridge and Strines became excessively muddy for about 100 yards. It needed renovation.
The Council’s response is totally beyond what was necessary. The renovation is still going on. It now extends from the original problem to continue along the track and across the Roman Bridge
(presumably the bridge itself isn’t affected) and then up to the Strines Rd.
I suggest anyone who has complained about muddy footpaths should take a look, but be prepared. Presumably in Stockport MBC's opinion this is a high priority footpath and yet they do not ensure the contractors provide a satisfactory route around the workings. If you are able to make your way through - we did when walking from Strines to Roman Lakes, but it did entail crossing a very muddy field and then climbing a wall - you will be astounded at what has been done. Anyone interested in the Middlewood Way should certainly take a look and demand the Middlewood Way be brought up to the same standard.
I would go so far as to suggest this renovation could be a misuse of public money.
For information, I believe the money came from a Flood Relief Fund. I find it difficult to understand how the Council can consider the work that has been undertaken should have taken priority over, for example, the flood affected footpaths in Etherow Country Park and where part of the Park has been inaccessible for over a year.
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I can't throw any light on this, although this forum is frequented by councillors and would-be councillors, and maybe one of them can do so?
However, it is quite possible that it's all to do with the separation of budgets within the council. The tracks around Strines will fall within the the Rights of Way department, whereas the paths in Brabyns and Etherow are presumably the responsibility of Parks and Open Spaces?
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I think the track and bridge are still classed as a bridleway.
Looking at the picture its very similar to the section after the Otterspool hydro, so it might be a standardised bridleway design ?.
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It does not matter which Fund was used for this exercise. Stockport has a population of Tax payers who effectively employ Stockport MBC and our Councillors to use wisely our Council Tax money and any other money they receive.
Having been campaigning for improvements to footpaths elsewhere for many years and continually being told there is no money available I cannot understand how Stockport MBC can possibly consider this area of greater importance than many others in Stockport.
I would suggest everyone who believes they know of a footpath or similar that would benefit the community far more than the one above should ask their Local Councillor and/or Council Official why the money was spent here in preference to the one they would have chosen.
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@Dave I am a soon-to-be-ex-councillor, does that count?
The way funding cuts go, every area of local government is trimmed, but some more than others. How that's done is the job of those that run the council, and in a minority administration that is to some extent all of us: to be fair the current Labour admin have genuinely reached out and listened. Of course that could all change after 3 May. So although social services is one of the most important things we do, there are still funds for highway maintenance, and yes, footpaths too. And there is also still flexibility funding from the Marple Area Cmte for local organisations, although that tends to be £100s rather than £1,000s.
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.
@CTCREP has been in contact. So have many other residents and I have a list of footpaths, cycleways and bridleways that could be with improvements and I have passed on to officers. However, top of the list is still the footpath that links the bottom of Dale Road with the Sustrans bridge over the R Goyt. If you think your path is bad, this mudbath is worse!
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It is good to hear that some improvements to footpaths have been made but I must question the decision to put the footpath along the River Goyt as being Top of the List. This is purely a leisure path. It was a route I proposed several years ago but the Council chose to create the route down from Marple Hall Drive. Their reasoning being that the riverside walk was prone to flooding - I cannot see that changing. It would be nice to have a riverside walk but in no way can it be considered a priority regardless of how much mud there is.
From my information the section referred to is an unofficial re-siting of the footpath that originally went straight through the farm. I would expect the Council to check the definitive map.
I have been pressuring Stockport MBC for years to improve Rollins Lane - the path into Brabyns Park from near Compstall Bridge - and the path in Brabyns Park that leads from the Iron Bridge up to the Pavilion. This route should enable ordinary pedestrians to be able to walk from Compstall to Marple Bridge, Marple Station and Marple, as well as a route for students to cycle from the Compstall area to Marple Hall School. Currently I know of one person who in the past would cycle from Compstall Bridge to the Pavilion but now drives down to Marple Bridge and back up to the Pavilion because of the unsatisfactory state of the paths. Surely this route is more worthy of being top priority. I guess many other residents could make similar claims for elsewhere.
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I went to look at the Strines bridleway last week. If you saw anyone with a look of total bewilderment on their face, that was me. While we wail and cry for rights of way improvements elsewhere, the level of work down there is astonishing.
Presumably it's a case of "doing it properly" — for once — which is very commendable. The path is an excellent hard surface but still grippy for horses, probably the best of its kind I've ever seen. Alongside in the worst patches are huge rocks to allow for drainage. Compared to what it was, it's unrecognisable.
But is it useful? It could be, as a more leisurely bottom-of-the-valley route between Marple and Strines, but the major downfall is that you can literally see where the money stopped — at the junction past Windybottom Farm where one path goes uphill and the other towards the station. The station path could be quite useful, but beyond here it's still the same bumpy, muddy mess with no sign of improvement coming. The uphill path is a downhill washed-away stream. Water and mud is also gathering against the end of the newly laid path, creating a new obstacle.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZ7XkLTW4AAGOTV.jpg)
Second, the small hill back down towards the farm, always the worst part (either like a mudbath or a dry river bed) is now totally dry but also fantastically narrow for a bridleway. Just wide enough for two walkers to pass, how would two bikes or two horses manage?
Before/After
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZ7XO-_WsAAv19Y.jpg)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZ7XO9aWkAAPrXY.jpg)
Third, unless you cross the Roman Bridge you have to then continue along the hellish Lakes Road to get to Marple which is as potholed and puddled as ever, if not more so. If you do cross the bridge and go up to the canal to continue into Marple, then you encounter the even worse canal towpath, between Bridges 21 and 19, which is probably where the council should have actually focused such money. It has really drastically degraded just in the past year.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWlMDCVXkAE9MYX.jpg)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWlMDCcXcAIubWz.jpg)
This stretch of canal could be one of Marple's best attractions, never mind a perfect way to avoid Strines Road.
Do any of our local councillors want to tackle the council to work with Canal & River Trust on that one?
However, top of the list is still the footpath that links the bottom of Dale Road with the Sustrans bridge over the R Goyt. If you think your path is bad, this mudbath is worse!
It's such a shame the Dale Road path never became the main route to the bridge, it'd have been so much more logical and easy-going than the hairpin bends down from Marple Hall, which from my experience most cyclists don't bother with - it turned out to just be a very expensive dog walking path. Wasn't the issue with residents/landowners worrying about off-road motorbikers and the council not bothering to challenge them incase the funding expired?
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Thanks for the comments and the photos here. Don't forget the path to Strines becomes Derbyshire at some point.
And the final comment has a core of truth: Connect 2 (Marple to Chadkirk via new bridge) was originally proposed along the Goyt path but landowners were not happy, so an alternative had to be found from Marple Hall. SMBC relaid the Peak Forest towpath from from locks 10 to 13 (station Road to Strines Road crossings) a number of years ago; sadly that money is no longer there, but note that CRT are themselves stumping up millions to improve the environs whilst repairing the collapse at lock 15. (If, dear reader, you haven't seen it, it's worth seeing how they built canals around 1800 whilst it's exposed!)
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Connect 2 (Marple to Chadkirk via new bridge) was originally proposed along the Goyt path but landowners were not happy, so an alternative had to be found from Marple Hall.
I appreciate that a full blown decent wide path between the start of the footpath at Lower Dale Farm and the Chadkirk Bridge is not going to happen. However, I fully share Geoff's opinion - ".. top of the list is still the footpath that links the bottom of Dale Road with the Sustrans bridge over the R Goyt. If you think your path is bad, this mudbath is worse!"
What I would like to see is just the really bad muddy section (approx 50-100 metres) at the back of the farm having a decent path put down and be regularly maintained e.g. the balsam, brambles and knotweed cut back when necessary. Question: how can the funding for this be achieved? I can't see the landowners currently disapproving of this compromise idea!
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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.
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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.
Etherow before Brabyns .
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Do any of our local councillors want to tackle the council to work with Canal & River Trust on that one?
The problem with a number of footpaths and especially canal towpaths is that we have had one of the wettest winters for a good number of years.
Having said that I would think that the Canal and River Trust will be short of funds for towpath works. With the million pound emergency works on Marple locks and the recent multi million pound breach at Middlewich on one of their busiest canal links, their reserves are taking a hammering and local towpath works will now be low priority. If the council and C&RT could persuade investment from Sustrans it would help.
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Amazon said Etherow before Brabyns. Although I would dearly love to see Etherow Country Park being brought up to an acceptable standard it is still a leisure area whereas Brabyns Park offers useful routes to the Station, School and Shops.
I could make a case for Etherow Country Park to be considered the Premier Park in Stockport for its variety of interests it caters for, but we must really question Cllr Abell's opinion that the short length of, possibly unofficial, path alongside the Goyt at the end of Dale Road should take precedence over the fact that part of Etherow Country Park is no longer accessible because of the poor condition of the path alongside the river by Keg Pool.
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Don't forget the path to Strines becomes Derbyshire at some point.
All of that route described and photographed by rsh is in Stockport. You don't cross into High Peak (Derbyshire) until you get to the cobbled road leading to Strines Station.
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The path along the river from the end of Dale Road to the new bridge and Chadkirk is (or would be) a perfect route for visitors coming to Marple by train.
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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 think the landowners were concerned the original proposal of a decent wide path between Chadkirk Bridge and the bottom of Dale Road may have resulted in this 'new' path being routed across their farmyard. The improvements we are discussing here are only to make good and maintain the worst section and I don't foresee the farmyard access coming into the equation. I can't see why the owners of Magpie Cottages or Lower Dale Farm would object to the mud bath being permanently eradicated. If you are walking FROM Chadkirk Bridge towards the farm, you face the muddy section well before the old access point to the farmyard.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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
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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.
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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.
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''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.
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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.
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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 .
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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
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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.
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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
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A councillor’s position is to reflect the opinions of the residents not his own opinion of what he thinks best.
Disagree, I vote for a councillor’s as I expect them to have a better-enformed opinion then I have.
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I have been talking to the Council about the Roman Bridge to Strines area and have just revisited it.
When walking from Strines the new surface doesn’t go as far as Roman Bridge but some work has been done that, to me, looks as though they had started to prepare the ground for resurfacing but have not completed it.
I also seem to remember that at Windybottom Farm there was an enormous “turning area” with the new surface. If I am right then this has been reduced and the remainder replaced with stones.
Can anyone confirm this view.
Thanks
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I have been talking to the Council about the Roman Bridge to Strines area and have just revisited it.
When walking from Strines the new surface doesn’t go as far as Roman Bridge but some work has been done that, to me, looks as though they had started to prepare the ground for resurfacing but have not completed it.
I also seem to remember that at Windybottom Farm there was an enormous “turning area” with the new surface. If I am right then this has been reduced and the remainder replaced with stones.
Can anyone confirm this view.
Thanks
Nice footpath bridge just been instaled top of Marple were the road is .need one like this at compstall ...
Message tidied up - Howard
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Hello Amazon
Can you please repeat your reply. Part of your comment came with your quote from my previous reply and is incomplete. Please state precisely where the footbridge is at the top of Marple.
I guess you didn't get as far as Windybottom Farm but if anyone can confirm that the Windybottom section has been resurfaced and then changed in the last week or so it would be very helpful for me with my negotiations with the Council.
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Hello Amazon
Can you please repeat your reply. Part of your comment came with your quote from my previous reply and is incomplete. Please state precisely where the footbridge is at the top of Marple.
I guess you didn't get as far as Windybottom Farm but if anyone can confirm that the Windybottom section has been resurfaced and then changed in the last week or so it would be very helpful for me with my negotiations with the Council.
sorry i do get confused myself top of oldknow road were the road goes over the canal they have just put a footpath bridge in .
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Hello Amazon,
The footbridge I think you are talking about, alongside the road bridge, over the canal at the top of Oldknow Road (near The Navigation pub) has been there for many, many, many years.
I’m sure someone will come on here and say how long it’s been there.
The work that has been going on at that end of Marple has been on the canal. They have been replacing some lock gates (I think) and also improving the towpath.
Lily.
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Hello Amazon,
The footbridge I think you are talking about, alongside the road bridge, over the canal at the top of Oldknow Road (near The Navigation pub) has been there for many, many, many years.
I’m sure someone will come on here and say how long it’s been there.
The work that has been going on at that end of Marple has been on the canal. They have been replacing some lock gates (I think) and also improving the towpath.
Lily.
have a walk tomorrow and look .at the new one oposite side
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Thanks Amazon.
I’ll have a walk up there as soon as I get chance. I really didn’t know they had put another footbridge in.
Lily.
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Thanks Amazon.
I’ll have a walk up there as soon as I get chance. I really didn’t know they had put another footbridge in.
Lily.
only just gone in .
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Thank you for all the replies but I urgently need to know if anyone has walked alongside the river from Roman Lakes towards Strines in the last month or so and has seen the foot[path upgrading. If you haven't it is worth going just to see what is going on. However I suspect the work has been halted before it was finished - a pity really, but if my memory is correct then some of the work has been undone to avoid whoever was responsible for it being reprimanded for excessive waste of money. I seem to remember a large arc of the new surfacing opposite Windybottom Farm which has now been dug up and replaced by stones, but I could be wrong.
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Hi Amazon,
Yes, you are quite correct regarding the installation of a new footbridge over the canal. (Sorry for the delay in my response, I have been on holiday and have only just had chance to check it out.)
I would guess though (and I am only guessing) that it has been installed/funded by the canal and riverboat trust, rather than the council, while they were doing their lock refurbishment.
It looks like it is primarily for boaters using the locks as there isn’t a laid out footpath up to the bridge.
However, if people want to use the bridge, by walking over grass, then at least it saves crossing or walking along the road to stay on the ‘Lockside’ side of the road.
Lily.
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Thank you for all the replies but I urgently need to know if anyone has walked alongside the river from Roman Lakes towards Strines in the last month or so and has seen the foot[path upgrading. If you haven't it is worth going just to see what is going on. However I suspect the work has been halted before it was finished - a pity really, but if my memory is correct then some of the work has been undone to avoid whoever was responsible for it being reprimanded for excessive waste of money. I seem to remember a large arc of the new surfacing opposite Windybottom Farm which has now been dug up and replaced by stones, but I could be wrong.
Been down there today, having first had a look in early April. I think you could be right about the big area of stones opposite the farmhouse - I don't remember it looking like that originally, but didn't take a photo then.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dc1etpUXUAERWFr.jpg)
I also noticed the very narrow path coming down the hill has now suddenly been given several little "passing places", which is good. There was no sign of these before so I wonder if they only realised you'd never be able to pass a horse on a bike after it was built? ::)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dc1etpnXkAYAbwW.jpg)
Meanwhile the smooth path ends abruptly as you reach the river and you're turfed back onto the potholes of the Roman Lakes, which is a bit disappointing and makes it all look like even more of a wildly-over-engineered expensive way to just fix a muddy patch.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dc1etpWW4AAT3d3.jpg)
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The council have done a brilliant job resurfacing that stretch of bridleway around Windybottom, and also the bridleway between the Roman Bridge and Strines Road. Let's hope we get more of the same in future, as resources allow (it can't be cheap!)
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The council didn't do it, the work was funded by the flood relief fund folowing the damage in the storms. "brilliant" also depends on your point of view - most walkers I've spoken to think t['s great, but looking objectively = it's a flat boring surface made of recycled plastics (as per the contractors doing the job, who also told us about the funding) - the plastics will degrade and end up in our waterways, the smooth surface might encourage faster speeds from cyclists and lead to perceived trail conflict on a trail that isn't really wide enough, and the smooth surface is not brilliant for horses shod with metal shoes as it's somewhat slippy. Two sides to every story.
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it's a flat boring surface
Having walked along that track for many years, I'd much rather be 'bored' by the surface than struggle to pick my way though (or round) mud and potholes!
But then I guess people will always find something to complain about ::)