Wednesday, 23 January 2013
A guest article from a Dukinfield resident: Public Footpath 27 to be closed
I attended the Speakers Panel (Planning) in the council offices today.
There were a large number of objectors present to the proposed closing off of Public Footpath 27 that runs between Cheetham Hill Rd and Kenyon Avenue. At 200 people per hour at peak times it is one of the busiest (if not THE busiest) and most useful Public Footpaths in the borough.
There were a series of cogent, well argued contributions from those against the proposed closure. First from residents, one in particular had seen evidence from a long standing PCSO for the relevant area who believed there was no particular or significant problem with the path. Then Councillor Clare Reynolds of the Dukinfield/Stalybridge Ward (also representing the views of Councillors Shorrock and Sweeton of the Dukinfield/Stalybridge Ward who were also present) who spoke out strongly and intelligently against the proposed closure.
Then a representative from the Peak and Northern Footpaths Society, who also represented the Ramblers Association gentleman present. Finally a lady from the Pedestrians Association who both gave pertinent, sensible and proportionate comments.
Next the representatives of the far smaller group in favour of the closure (most of whom live next to the path). First came Deputy Leader John Taylor (with policeman in tow) to tell us of various problems 'in the area', some of which may or may not have been directly linked to the path, it was too vague to tell. The policeman echoed much of what councillor Taylor said. Then one resident neighbouring the path spoke of the problems he had encountered.
Any impartial observer would say that those speaking against the closure clearly won the argument. The path provides: access to nearby shops, bus stops and amenities; the 500 metres extra walk each way; the extremely high usage (the speaker from the Ramblers Association who has vast experience of these matters described it as, 'An M1 of a path'); its general usefulness; the principle of allowing criminals to set the agenda at the expanse of the vast majority of law abiding path users, as opposed to actually dealing with the former.
A few seconds (and I mean a few seconds) after these contributions, the panel voted. All but two voted in favour of the closure. This is despite those against the closure clearly winning the argument and the vast majority of public opinion being in favour of keeping the path open. One of the Dukinfield/Stalybridge Ward Councillors told me they had a had a large volume of constituents complaining to them vigorously against the closure.
One Public Footpath in one borough is a microcosm of the approach of the authorities in general. Instead of dealing with criminals and perpetrators by inflicting sufficient punishment, (i.e to reflect the seriousness of a particular offence and crucially, deter others from committing similar offences) they punish the law abiding majority. The same is true of speed bumps, speed cameras and increasingly the criminal justice system in general which is why so many parts of Britain are now no-go areas or blighted with crime. Official 'facts' of crime reduction increasingly bear little relationship to people's everyday experiences.
The video above is of the alleyway which is to be closed. There was a previous article on this blog where the closure was discussed. The previous article can be viewed by clicking here. Tameside Citizen
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33 comments:
Taylor's ward. DEL. Nuff said.
I too attended the meeting today opposing the closure of footpath 27. Unfortunately due to the late start of the meeting and having toddlers with me I had to leave after Councillor Reynolds spoke. I was gutted to hear that the path is to be closed. The support against closure was unanimous, I am totally shocked at the decision. I complained to the council last week that my valid reasons for keeping it open were not noted in the agenda notes which were read out at the meeting and I was told that these would be included. However, councillor Reynolds did her best to include them but it all fell on deaf ears.
Thankyou to all those that agreed to the closure today you have just upset one 10 year old boy who is registered partially sighted and is visually impaired and also has mild autism, this was to be his way to walk to his new secondary school in September independantly. It was the safest way for him to get to school unaided and, as a resident on Cheetham Hill Road, 3 doors away from the footpath I could actually see him walk part of Kenyon avenue from my own kitchen window knowing he would be ok on his own. I hope you that made the decision just realise what upset and distress you have caused, not only for him, but for myself a worried and concerned parent. Also can I just add that Councillor Taylor has never listened to the other side of the argument and done his level best over the years to make this footpath the worst it could possibly be to get this result.
Time to turn veggie I think!
I unfortunately was unable to attend the meeting today due to having to work, I did however lodge my objections to the closure. I am a working carer and use the path at least twice a day, the closure will add extra time to my day. I am also very disappointed at the decision.
They can not stop your right of way if its been a footpath for years ? full stop . All users will have perspective right of way and know one can take that from you you have to give it up . So keep useing it . and if they block it there in the shit
@ Horrifying scenes... Sky News and the rest of the media might have a shred of credibility on the animal welfare issue if they focussed foe once on the ongoing and LEGAL atrocity of Halal/Kosher slaughter where hundreds of thousands of animals have their throats slit whilst full conscious (a practice totally and rightly illegal for British slaughtermen). But hey, that might harm 'community relations'.
The elected upper echelons of the council are now inhabited by certain people who can charitably be described as extremely mentally limited.
Two of the voting members of the panel were Dukinfield ward councillors who were naturally voting entirely independently of the main spokesman for the closure, their colleague, Deputy Executive Leader of the Council Mr Taylor. I wouldn't care for any of the three councillors of this particular ward to be my elected local representatives. Credit though to the three Dukinfield/Stalybridge councillors (Reynolds, Shorrock and Sweeton) especially Mrs Reynolds for standing up for common sense, proportionality and the law abiding majority.
I can see both sides of the argument here. Anyone choosing to buy property beside such a footpath should forsee any potential problems such as anti social behaviour. It's a bit like buying a house beneath power cables, and then demanding that they be removed because you don't like the potential risk. You don't want the risk, don't buy the property. Something similar might be said about those who bitch and moan on here about traffic in Denton, after having purchased properties in close proximity to busy highways. Perhaps the footpath could be gated and locked after a certain time so access is only allowed at busy times of day, and teenagers are kept out in the evenings. Wardens could enforce it the same way as park gates.
One of an ever growing number of Public Footpaths and throughways blocked off or deliberately abandoned by TMBC in the last few years. This council, unlike the vast majority, has no official alleygating position and simply installs them brainlessly instead of dealing with the miscreants.
Typical Labour response when you look at it. They don't believe in democracy, they believe in total control as the case with this alleyway proves.
The Irish Republican supporting witch Arlene McCarthy who is a NW MEP was on GMR news this afternoon saying the British people should be denied a right to choose their destiny in Europe in the referendum promised by Cameron. She said "The EU is good for Britain and no referendum is needed". That type of vile attitude is so typical of the modern Labour Party. They are a disgrace in every way imaginable.
I occasionaly use this footpath and I find it disgusting that the wishes of the people are being ignored and they're closing it regardless.
@ Worn shoe lether, now you know about it write a letter of complaint to the council. If enough people get involved something might be done about the footpath closing chief moron in Dukinfield.
Enough of the Dukinfield monopoly
on TC what about the real scandals still being foisted on 230,000 Tamesiders.
Once again its published
..................................
Tameside Hospital near Greater Manchester, had a higher than expected death rate: Medical director Tariq Mahmood insisted the Trust's mortality rate was normal according to a different measurement.
.................................
Once again the Hospital is among st the top worst in the UK.
Wake up Tamesiders before you yourself get stuffed into a box,
your apathy is bloody disgusting and indicates your mainly brain dead approach to what has,is, and will continue to occur.
Tamesiders are governed and dealt far worse than than anywhere else
and all you can do is sit on your bloody arses.
No surprises here then. Another "apparently motiveless attack". Watch this one get dropped like a hot potato by the media.
RIP Kieran Crump Raiswell, another victim of the hell imposed upon the native people of this island.
The cowardly murder of Mr Crump Raiswell will be quickly airbrushed out of the public gaze by the same media which howls 'hate crime!' if anyone is even mildly rude to an ethnic or dares to look disapprovingly at a gay person. It stinks but there it is...
Perhaps people should be asking why the police concerns weren't in any report until it was too late for them to be seriously questioned. perhaps someone should be asking how those police comments were obtained and who organised that. perhaps the accuracy and independence of the police comments should be looked at more closely. perhaps then some light may shine on the real truth of this path. perhaps even enough to influence voting habits for some council seats.
More to the point, perhaps we should be asking why the police should be allowed any voice whatsoever in such affairs. The police are paid by the tax payer to enforce the law of the land, nothing more nothing less. If any member of poilce force wishes to express his view on such matters, then he should do so in his own time in an independent manner without abusing his position to give his voice some semi-official authority. Elected politicians and voters are the voices which count, not unelected lackeys of local Labour politicians.
If there are problems with crime on that footpath, all the police should do is tackle it within their remit and allow the rest of us to decide what the broader implications should be. The same might be said of unelected woolly headed judges who lecture parliament on the need for 'reform' (a euphemism and codeword for softer punishment of criminals). The police have no business dictating to the law abiding what public footpaths they are allowed to have, any more than they do telling us all what time of day and night we are allowed out of the house.
The police description (BBC News site) of the suspect, Imran Akhtar Hussain, was 'A light skinned male of slim build.' Vague and more.
Im pleased this rat run has been closed. Its been a magnet for antisocial behavior for years. The residents are the majority and the moaning minnies are not representitive of real local opinion. The moaners having to walk a little farer is a price worth paying for the peace and security this will bring to the neighbourhood.
In reply to greatful resident, you bought your property fully aware of the path just as many of us moaning minnies bought ours to be near facilities as many of us do not own a car. Judging by the meeting and letter we recieved I believe we were the majority. The whole meeting appeared to be shambles starting over 1 hour late and some information being heared by attendees for the first time.
The disgusting pro-Labour rag called the Daily Mirror went even further than the BBC to deceive the public. Here is how they described the suspect "They are hunting a white teenager aged between 16 and 18"
@ Grateful resident, it's a Public Footpath not a 'rat run'. The 'antisocial behaviour' will simply move elsewhere, (not that you're bothered about that) nothing has been solved.
The residents are the minority not the majority.
The residents are the 'moaning minnies' not the people who simply want to carry on using a Public Footpath that's been there for decades.
It's clear by: the number of objectors, both present at the meeting and in general; the fact that all three councillors from Dukinfield/Stalybridge turned up to strongly oppose the closure, due to so many residents contacting them to complain about the path being closed, i.e. the REAL public opinion.
The closure of this long standing, popular, well used public amenity (as it was described by the independent inspector at the last inquiry back in 2003) is a kick in the teeth for the hundreds of decent law abiding citizens who will now be denied access every week due to the total failure of the authorities to deal with a few incidents, many of which were simply 'in the area' and clearly unconnected to the path.
And all due to some influential but extremely mentally limited representatives with a long history of blocking off everything in sight (as opposed to actually DEALING with any problems), and to facilitate a handful of selfish locals.
Be aware, it's not finished yet.
Its great to see the support against the closure of the footpath. I have contacted a few people regarding an appeal and I have been told to contact the Borough Solicitor which I will be doing on Monday. I still believe there could be a case so we all need to come together on this. I live on Cheetham Hill Road 3 doors away. I would like to speak with the objectors on Chester Avenue who spoke out if they are reading this. The path is due to close in a couple of weeks so time is of the essence. Everybody knows the corruption that went on with one particular person (no names mentioned). It absolutely riles me the way he has behaved. I rang the council 8 days ago to have the path cleaned and it still hasn't been done. As far as the burglary on the bungalow right behind mine, the footpath had nothing to do with this, the house in particular has no security, no gates and is open for anyone to walk into the back. There has not been any antisocial behaviour in there since they fenced off the small wall, kids are kids they mess about to and from school. My house is higher than any round here and I can see into the ginnel from my top windows. Oh and it wasn't mentioned that one adjacent resident, who is so disliked and nasty throws rubbish into the footpaths on cheetham hill road road and has been seen throwing it into the path too. Keep battling everyone please. I am hoping that my son being registered partially sighted is going to help with the appeal.
To add a bit of balance to this rather one-sided debate on Tameside Citizen, this minor catastrophe which (apparently) has Dukinfield suffering a collective heart attack amounts to a mere 100 extra yards (or so) walking distance. That footpath was designed in an era when there were far fewer social issues (eg - crime and anti social behaviour) to take account of. But times have changed, and it is far from ideal having a secluded little youth centre druggy den and rapist facility nestled right in between peoples homes. There're enough overweight unhealthy gits about the borough with their trademark sticks and scooters, and a bit of extra walking never did anyone any harm.
@ Anonymous 14:10, I'd do some research before posting so offensively, ignorantly and arrogantly.
The actual extra diversion distance is 495 metres, each way. A thousand metres is about two thirds of a mile, a long way if you're elderly or disabled. In any case why SHOULD the law abiding majority have access to this long standing and unquestionably useful Public Footpath denied because of the complete failure of the authorities to deal with any miscreants. Any potential offenders will simply move to another area, closing this footpath has adversely affected a latge number of law abiding citizens and solved NOTHING.
Any alleged offences, apart from the few actually committed on the path were, according to the referenced incidents at the meeting, were committed, 'in the area', a meaningless statement as said offences could well have no relation to the path whatsoever.
Decisions like this (taken with NO DELIBERATION WHATSOEVER despite long, well argued and detailed statements by those objecting to the closure) show that the inferior, unprincipled and mentally limited have increasingly risen to the top in what is an ever more stagnant and rotten borough.
495 metres?? I've just checked the distances on google maps. Walking from the entrance of that footpath on Kenyon Avenue to its exit on Cheetham Hill Road (via Birch Lane) looks more like 450 metres to me.
But that is without factoring out the distance walked on the footpath of about 50 metres, which makes it 800 metres total. Besides, many are walking up Kenyon Avenue to access the path from Dewsnap / Birch Lane area, a distance (150 metres) which would also have to taken off the direct route on to Yew Tree. That makes it an extra 500 metres in total.
Put simply, your figure of nearly a kilometre (however accurate) is probably a gross overestimate that would only apply to a very small number of those who use the path, namely certain residents on Kenyon Avenue. And what's more, from what I can see of it Kenyon Avenue is a street of bought semis the majority of which have nice cars parked outside. Why the bus stop to Ashton on Cheetham Hill Road would be so vital to them on a regular basis is anyone's guess.
What this really amounts to is more busybody interference from those whose attitude is "I'm alright jack tough nuts for you". You won't find a single pensioner in Tameside who'd suffer anti social behaviour right on their doorstep for the sake of a short footpath. But because in this instance it's someone else who's affected it is (as usual) a case of....
It is a victory for the silent majority who can now live their lives in peace. As usual the vocal minority kick up a fuss when things don't go their way. We could never have achieved this without the wonderful help given by Cllr Taylor and his colleagues. We are eternally greatful and we thank them all very much.
@ Anonymous 23:57, the given and measured (by an expert surveyor, i.e not you) 'extra diversion distance' i.e. THE EXTRA DISTANCE WALKED FROM END TO END OF THE PATH IF IT IS SHUT is 495 metres. Obviously in some cases it will be less, I think everyone realises that.
Many peole (as was witnessed at the meeting) use the path to access the bus stops on Cheetham Hill Rd and to get to the shops on Chester Avenue and guess what, the vast majority don't live on Kenyon Avenue, they live on Birch Lane, Dewsnap Lane and other nearby roads. There was one gentleman present who lives on Armadale Road who uses the path every day.
The 'I'm alright Jack' attitude comes entirely from the tiny number of vocal and selfish locals who have enlisted the help of Dukinfield's footpath closer in chief, who now has influence way beyond actual ability, in an increasingly stagnant and fascistic local Labour ruling clique, and thereby overturned the proportionate and reasoned 2003 ruling of an INDEPENDENT planning inspector.
The 'busybodies' aren't the vastly greater number of law abiding citizens who simply want to MAINTAIN THEIR EXISTING RIGHT to use this popular and useful path/public amenity, it's the tiny vested interest group who want to close it.
As for Taylor he's pissed off a few people too many in the last few years, both members of the public and no doubt within the circles of power. Virtually every negative and critical comment (re the path and other issues) pre-meeting was directed towards him.
Oh so it's power by numbers now is it?? We is more so we'll walk all over you? Well the law of the jungle aside, I'd say a more moral approach would be to balance the level of nuisance being caused against the level of convenience offered by footpath27.
And I hate to disappoint you, but it requires little expertise to guage approx distance on any reasonable map. Your hordes of hobbling war veterans and humble old folk coming from Birch Lane do NOT journey anything like an extra kilometre with that footpath closed. Even being generous with any personal estimate, the distance from where Birch Lane meets Kenyon Avenue to the exit of that footpath on CH Rd can be no more than about 250 metres (500 both ways). The alternative route from the end of Kenyon to where Birch meets Yew Tree, then left up CH to the exit of that footpath is a max of 350 metres. 350 minus 250 gives an extra walking distance of 100 metres, that's 200 metres in total (not a 1000) for anyone not living on Kenyon!!
"The 'I'm alright Jack' attitude comes entirely from the tiny number of vocal and selfish locals" Selfish? Residents whose lives are blighted by anti social behaviour are unduly selfish for requesting the closure of a short footpath because no other solution is on the table? It's all well and good for others who are sitting pretty to lecture about ideal world solutions that everyone knows will never happen. If those moaning about the closure wish to police the path 24/7 then feel free to volunteer.
Let me carry my fighting stick and give me £50 a day and I'll do 12 hours of that.
In fact it would be handy if we had people paid to patrol our areas and stop crime, have we got anything like that in Tameside at all?
If we have I've never seen them doing it.
@ Anonymous 00:12, 'Hordes of hobbling war veterans', show some respect, there are a lot of such people who will now have to walk all the way round thanks to a few selfish, spiteful individuals like you.
The PCSO responsible for this area for six years didn't think there was any significant or particular problem related to this path. However the selfish behaviour of a tiny minority means the law abiding vast majority will have to suffer. For the time being anyway, as several challenges, legal and procedural are ongoing.
It is power by numbers, otherwise every path with trouble on it in Tameside would have to shut. Going by the number blocked off and abandoned in Dukinfield in the last few years that might be certain elected representative's aim.
Could we possibly rename either or both of our local "Rags" "The Taylor Times" or "Little Johnny's Journeys"?
If John Taylor represents "Talent" in our local "Labour" party then heaven help us all! I have been following the footpath saga for years and am mystified by the attitude of the police - who in the last 10 years has been convicted of an offence in which the footpath played a part? How has this particular bee in Taylor's bonnet been satisfied despite the tremendous opposition to the closure of a vital local amenity?
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