Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Place Management.

The report requests the Area Committee to consider whether to authorise the diversion of a section of footpath 64 Bredbury and Romiley (“64 BR”) from a route shown as a black solid line between Points A – F, to a route shown in a broken black line between points B-C-D-E-F, as shown on the plan attached at Appendix A.

The Area Committee is recommended to:-

(1) Authorise the making of an Order under Section 119 of the Highways Act, diverting the section of footpath 64 BR from a route shown as a black solid line between Points A – F, to a route shown in a broken black line between points B-C-D-E-F, as shown on the plan attached at Appendix A.

(2)  In the event that objections are received and sustained to the Order, authorise

officers to forward the Order to the Secretary of State for confirmation.

(3)  Authorise that the Order will be drafted to include a provision to allow the

Definitive Map and Statement to be amended without further recourse to Committee.

Officer contact: Nicholas Robinson on 0161 474 5012 or email nicholas.robinson@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Director of Place Management submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) requesting the Area Committee to consider authorising the diversion of a section of footpath 64 Bredbury and Romiley.

The following comments were made/ issues raised: -

·       In terms of the timescale for the proposed diversion of the footpath, preliminary works would be restricted by regulations related to protected species and were likely to take a month. Levelling work was likely to begin in July with the aim of completing the works before the end of the year. It was reported that work would be undertaken with hand tools rather than machinery in order to protect wildlife; this factor increased the likely timescale of the work.

·       It was reported that this section of footpath was now being prioritised due to deterioration; the council had a responsibility to maintain the path to a certain standard.

·       Members commented that, although the footpath was not wheelchair accessible, the proposed diversion would not be any less accessible than the original path.

RESOLVED – (1) That authorisation be given to the making of an Order under Section 119 of the Highways Act, diverting the section of footpath 64 BR from a route shown as a black solid line between Points A – F, to a route shown in a broken black line between points B-C-D-E-F, as shown on the plan attached at Appendix A.

(2) That, in the event that objections were received and sustained to the Order, the Assistant Director for Legal & Democratic Governance be authorised to forward the Order to the Secretary of State for confirmation.

(3) That authorisation be given that the Order be drafted to include a provision to allow the Definitive Map and Statement to be amended without further recourse to Committee.