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A long-closed footpath in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, has today been reopened, thanks to the efforts of campaigners, including the Ashby Footpaths Group and North West Leicestershire MP Amanda Hack.
Amanda Hack (in the mauve dress) joins protesters at the blocked path, 16 November 2025. Photo: Amanda Hack
Footpath O89, part of an ancient route which runs from the new Money Hill car-park to the top of North Street, has been closed since June 2025, forcing walkers to use a busy, dangerous road with heavy traffic and no sidewalk.
Says Barry Thomas, the Open Spaces Society’s local correspondent for North West Leicestershire:
‘It is excellent news that Leicestershire County Council has at last reopened this path. It should never have been closed, and the council, as highway authority, has a statutory duty to keep paths open and usable for the public.
‘Instead of exercising that duty and ensuring that illegal obstructions were removed from the path, the council made a temporary traffic regulation order to stop up the route, causing great inconvenience to the public who want to walk this popular path. There was a risk that the council would seek an extension of the closure.
‘Now the council has relented and has reopened the path. This about-turn would never have happened without the pressure applied on the council by the volunteers of the Ashby Footpath Group, town and district councillors, and Amanda Hack MP and her support staff, all of whom have been striving to prevent another unnecessary extension of the closure.’
Ashby Footpath Group celebrate on the reopened path, 9 December 2025. Photo: Amanda Hack
Says Amanda Hack: ‘After being contacted by so many local residents about the closure of this footpath, I am delighted to see it reopened for community use.
‘I am very grateful to the Ashby Footpath Group, local councillors, my team, and the Open Spaces Society for the countless hours of work they put in to protect this community asset.
‘I look forward to walking the footpath later on this week.’