Hadleigh walkway approved as footpath (From Echo)

Hadleigh walkway approved as footpath

10:30am Friday 1st March 2013 in News By Jacqueline McMillan

JUBILANT campaigners are celebrating getting a well-used walkway recognised as a public footpath after proving it had been used for over 70 years.

Since 1940 residents going from High Road to London Road in Hadleigh have walked between the former Crown Pub and the town’s library, but that was stopped in 2011 when work was going on to build the new-look Morrisons supermarket.

Now the walkway could be preserved forever after Essex County Council announced it will be issuing an order to add the footpath to the Definitive Map of Public Rights of Way.

Roy Brackin, of Solby’s Lane, Hadleigh, said: “I am very pleased that this is going to take place. I hope it will prompt the council to take away the hoardings without any further delay."

Should the walkway be formally adopted as a public right of way, it could place the £60million Hadleigh masterplan in jeopardy as the land had been allocated for redevelopment by Castle Point Council’s regeneration partnership.

Once the order is made, there will a period of six weeks in which objections can be made. If objections are made it will go to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a final decision.

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “Essex County Council has approved an Order to modify the Definitive Map of Public Rights of Way by adding this footpath, which links the London-bound and Southend-bound carriageways of the A13 at Hadleigh and runs through the grounds of a now disused public house, adjacent to Hadleigh library. “The decision was taken based on evidence from 28 witnesses showing use of the route for public access since 1940. Once the Order is published, there will be a period of not less than six weeks during which time anyone can lodge objections.”

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