Support us from £3/month
We deal with almost 1000 cases a year assisting communities, groups and individuals in protecting their local spaces and paths in all parts of England and Wales. Can you help us by joining as a member?
Our member Paul Gallagher of the Emmer Green Resident’s Association, and local residents, have succeeded in claiming a footpath, from Russet Glade to Jefferson Close, Emmer Green, Reading, for the definitive map of public paths.
This follows a four-year campaign, culminating in a public inquiry in April at which there were three objectors. Mr Gallagher told of his use of the path back to 1969 when, as a student at Reading University, he visited his wife-to-be’s parents in Tower Close, before Russet Glade or Jefferson Close had even been built. There was evidence from 31 people that they had used the route, some of them daily.
Over the years there have been planning applications to build houses on the site which would have obliterated the path.
One of the objectors argued that Reading Amateur Boxing Club, which owned part of the route of the path, had erected notices challenging people’s use, but the inquiry inspector, Peter Millman, dismissed this since none of the users mentioned it.
The inspector ruled that there was sufficient evidence from users that the path should be added to the map.