Footpath closed for more than 18 months as councillor calls for resolution

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

Action is needed to resolve a dispute that has seen a footpath closed for more than 500 days, a councillor has said.

The path running alongside the Neddern Brook in Caldicot was closed due a potential risk from a recycling centre that is beside the public right of way.

Clarity

Councillor Tony Easton, who represents the town’s Dewstow ward, asked at Monmouthshire County Council’s December meeting when the path can reopen and warned people are already climbing over or around a fence that is meant to block access.

Councillor Sara Burch, the cabinet member responsible for the countryside including footpaths, said she “totally shared” her Labour colleague’s “frustration” but said she couldn’t provide a date.

She said the path couldn’t be open until authorities including the Health and Safety Executive and Natural Resources Wales are satisfied.

Cllr Eason said at least 17 officers and bodies have been involved during the 500 days and he’d had an email, in October, from the Health and Safety Executive which said it hadn’t recommended the path be closed but if the council considered there to be one it should assess it.

The councillor said: “This has been a case of pass the parcel for 500 days”.

He called for the council’s acting chief executive, Peter Davies, to resolve the issue which he said was like a broken record with different authorities passing responsibility: “It needs the acting chief executive to take control of the gramaphone and switch the music off.”

In response Cllr Burch said: “I agree there does seem to be more talk than action. Lets hold a multi agency meeting to see if we can get some movement and resolve the situation.”

Eirwyn Williams, of Woodstock Waste Disposal, said he had complied with requests to reduce the level of material stored near the path and regrade the slope.