The owners of Smallcombe Farm have applied to formally divert the footpath from the steps by their farm to a zig-zag path through the nearby field. Dozens of local people have taken part in a preliminary consultation which closed on 4th March.

The preliminary consultation was undertaken by a professional agent on behalf of the applicant. They will now analyse the responses and possibly investigate compromises. When they are ready, the agent will write a submission for the Council’s Regulatory Committee to look at. Independent council officers will also write an accompanying report. It will be up to the Regulatory Committee to decide whether to take the application further or abandon it.

If the committee decides to take the application to the next step there will be a further round of public consultation undertaken by the council, followed by another meeting of the Regulatory Committee. Finally any application supported by the committee will be sent to a government Planning Inspector to decide.

Bathwick councillor Nicholas Coombes is chair of the Regulatory Committee. While he isn’t able to comment on the application, he is committed to keeping local people informed and making sure that they are able to be heard when the application is considered by the council. However, no developments are expected in the short term.