Grant to help with cost of diverting footpath?

[DrWazzock]

Is there one?
All we want to do is divert a public footpath round instead of it going the middle of our farmyard. Everybody thinks it’s a good idea for health and safety and to provide a pleasanter walk. The problem is the council want £3125 plus a bit and we can’t really afford it esiecially as there’s always the slight risk that somebody will object, costs escalate and we lose all the payment for nothing.
So in my mind the diversion is a “public good” so where’s the public money for the public good and why should I as a private business be stumping all the cost and taking all the risk to deliver this public good?

 

[Hill Ground]

Is there one?
All we want to do is divert a public footpath round instead of it going the middle of our farmyard. Everybody thinks it’s a good idea for health and safety and to provide a pleasanter walk. The problem is the council want £3125 plus a bit and we can’t really afford it esiecially as there’s always the slight risk that somebody will object, costs escalate and we lose all the payment for nothing.
So in my mind the diversion is a “public good” so where’s the public money for the public good and why should I as a private business be stumping all the cost and taking all the risk to deliver this public good?

Can you make a permissive path around your yard, then install a nice sign that says "please use the permissive route for h&s and to improve your walk"

Hopefully most people would take you up on the offer, and at minimal cost to yourself?

 

[DrWazzock]

Can you make a permissive path around your yard, then install a nice sign that says "please use the permissive route for h&s and to improve your walk"

Hopefully most people would take you up on the offer, and at minimal cost to yourself?

We’ve already done that. Been in place for 3 years and we are satisfied with it TBH. But I had a message the other day from the council saying that for some reason a permanent route change would now be looked upon more favourably and did we want to go ahead but it will cost at least £3125 and still with risk of being sabotaged by a spurious objection. I’ve gauged levels of support from local government bodies and they are all supportive which is good but it seems with costs and risk I’m on my own even though it’s for the greater good.
Sure enough we can carry on with the permissive path but it’s a source of confusion for walkers and some still wander through the yard. We are fully insured in case of an accident and we are mindful of the risk but until the path is fully diverted we (as in ourselves and the council) haven’t done all we can to reduce that risk from a COSHH angle.

 

[Will Blackburn]

I feel sure someone will object. Money well spent otherwise.

 

[DrWazzock]

A diversion would be the right thing to do but it seems odd that in these days of public money for public goods I’m on my own with cost and risk while for everybody else in the loop it’s either a money spinner or for objectors costs them nothing at all..

 

[DrWazzock]

In my view if people object they should bear some kind of cost for dealing with objection to deter those objecting for no good reason.

 

[Will Blackburn]

Our footpaths were diverted more than once in the 70's and before, that's when common sense.....was well, common.

 

[Will Blackburn]

Too many nosey parkers love getting in the way and poking their noses into your business to chance it

 

[DrWazzock]

Too many nosey parkers love getting in the way and poking their noses into your business to chance it

That’s the feeling we have.
It’s a shame because a potential benefit for all concerned is missed.
I think we’ll leave it as it is.

 

[nxy]

I was told the ramblers association object on principal to every foot path being moved, though never complained about the opening of new ones, basically they want both routes open.

 

[DrWazzock]

@Defra Farming
Can you consider this in future policy where this is a clearly identifiable public good in diverting a path around a farmyard?

 

[DrWazzock]

I was told the ramblers association object on principal to every foot path being moved, though never complained about the opening of new ones, basically they want both routes open.

Something has or is changing in legislation according to the council. I don’t think their objections will necessarily be upheld as elf n safety has more clout. At least one local path I know of has been successfully diverted round a farmyard.
I guess it’s a case of how lucky do I feel but I resent taking all the risk and cost for what really is a public benefit. As far as I’m concerned. I’m satisfied that I’ve done what I can with the permissive path diversion and as long as I close it for one day a year it cannot become permanent though I’d hardly care if it did as I’d prefer people to use it.

 

[Tucker]

Unfortunately someone will defiantly object (IMO), we tried to move one 15 years or so ago, from diagonally across the middle off a field to around the edge, you'd have thought the world was going to end - tw@ts !!!!

 

[nonemouse]

We just had a path diverted as part of the upgrade of the coast to coast into a national trail, no objections but still took best part of 18 months

 

[zero]

Brother in law needed a footpath diverting for the same reason in County Durham and was advised to have a word with the local ramblers association, whoever he spoke to said they didn't mind so long as the footpath didn't end up shorter overall.. I can't remember it costing alot but it would be pushing 20 years ago, think councils have got skint and greedy since then..
Are there any local walking or heritage group members on the council you could have a word with?

 

[Spencer]

Sounds a lot of money.., but you’ll forget about if it goes through. Even if someone objects it’s not game over, it then goes to Secretary of State for judgement. Just a more drawn out process, but if you feel you have a good case for for it, we did and all diverted now..

 

[DrWazzock]

Brother in law needed a footpath diverting for the same reason in County Durham and was advised to have a word with the local ramblers association, whoever he spoke to said they didn't mind so long as the footpath didn't end up shorter overall.. I can't remember it costing alot but it would be pushing 20 years ago, think councils have got skint and greedy since then..
Are there any local walking or heritage group members on the council you could have a word with?

I wasn’t sure about contacting the ramblers or whether it was best to let sleeping dogs lie. I get on fine with everybody who walks through but if the leadership are political they might have some kind of agenda. Although if that is the case then it’s better to know now I suppose rather then when I’ve spaffed £3k

 

[egbert]

We’ve already done that. Been in place for 3 years and we are satisfied with it TBH. But I had a message the other day from the council saying that for some reason a permanent route change would now be looked upon more favourably and did we want to go ahead but it will cost at least £3125 and still with risk of being sabotaged by a spurious objection. I’ve gauged levels of support from local government bodies and they are all supportive which is good but it seems with costs and risk I’m on my own even though it’s for the greater good.
Sure enough we can carry on with the permissive path but it’s a source of confusion for walkers and some still wander through the yard. We are fully insured in case of an accident and we are mindful of the risk but until the path is fully diverted we (as in ourselves and the council) haven’t done all we can to reduce that risk from a COSHH angle.

Ramblers association will certainly try to keep both routes open, if i know them.

Spiked pit traps, big hungry unsocialised dogs and landmines come to mind....but I admit I'm biased from past experience.

 

[Northdowns Martin]

Footpaths are a dangerous animals, if you have a permissive path best to officially close it one day a year or you may end up with 2 permanent paths! Is the money not worth spending to increase the valve of your property? A yard without a path running through it is more valuable than one with

 

[soapsud]

Our footpath shows it going over/through the walls of a building on the OS map that was put put up in the 1970s. I started a thread a while ago about what to do. We've done nothing and nothing has happened. No sign saying go round. No sign up warning of the dangers of going through the yard.

Let it be. The Council get enough money off us and waste enough of that too.