15 July (Part 4) - An open and shut case
Although I was born in the East End of London I spent half my life as a country
bumpkin in Hampshire so I know what footpaths and bridleways are. Your rights to
traverse them unhindered are currently enshrined in the Countryside and Rights
of Way Act 2000. In essence walkers are guaranteed easy and unfettered access to footpaths.
The same goes for bridleways where the rights are extended to horses and
their riders. There are no ifs and buts about it, a footpath or a bridleway must
be permanently open for ramblers or anyone else who cares to use them in the
manner intended. Any unfortunate hindrance, field ploughing etc., must be put
right within 14 days. So what can possibly go wrong with that? Probably quite a
lot with Bexley council in charge.
When
Bridleway 250 was blocked by an elaborate electronic gate complete with CCTV
coverage you might expect the council to fly into action as soon as it heard
about it. Unless of course some councillor is behind it all, but as yet no
evidence of that has come to light. Mind you, councillor Campbell in whose territory
it is, has been very dismissive towards the complainants, in writing too. Maybe it is because
they are Bonkers readers.
So the complaint went to Bexley council’s Enviro Crime Unit Manager Mrs. J Glander
and after consulting or informing all sorts of people including James Brokenshire MP, Colin Campbell deputy
leader of the council, Alan Downing, still mayor at the time, chief executive Will Tuckley,
Mike Frizoni and assorted senior officers, Mrs. Glander came back with her reply. Bexley
council was not going to do anything about the blocked bridleway.
More on this another day.