The contested footpath between Claverton Down and Combe Down has finally been confirmed by the Planning Inspector.

AQ78, from Widcombe Hill to North Road (Combe Down) has existed as a path for hundreds of years, but when the council tried to legally record it the landowner for part objected to their proposed width. At the Widcombe Hill end the path had been up to 7m wide, but the landowner erected a fence restricting public access to a narrower 3m width.

After a public enquiry earlier this year, and now a further exchange of evidence, the inspector has ruled that the council was correct and that the width of the footpath is “generally 3.8 to 6 metres, up to 7 metres”.

It is now clear that the fence restricts access to land which the public has a legal right of access to. The fence will have to be taken down and I have requested that B&NES take enforcement action.