Councillors to decide on public right of way after East Cramlington dog walking route blocked with fences

The meeting of the Cramlington, Bedlington, and Seaton Valley Local Area Council has been recommended to decide that the path be included in future maps as a public footpath, as sufficient evidence has been collected to support the claim.

The path in question runs behind houses on Alston Avenue and Reedswood Crescent then continues alongside the B1326.

Once it reaches the East Cramlington Nature Reserve car park it turns into the field and loops back on itself.

In a report to the committee, a Northumberland County Council officer said: “Based on the user evidence, and in the absence of any evidence of any acts of rebuttal prior to 2020, it would be appropriate to conclude that public footpath rights have been reasonably alleged to exist over the route.”

An application in support of declaring the route a public footpath was first made in October 2021, and led to a public consultation in August 2022.

This followed fences being put up on the route and hay bales being used to block the route from October 2020.

A new fence was then put up, along with signage to deter walkers, in May 2021.

In a response to the consultation, local councillor Eve Chicken said: “After consultation with residents, some of whom are lifelong residents of Seaton Delaval, I can find no reason at all for this path not being added to our list of public footpaths.

“As far as I can establish, this path has been used without restrictions for many decades. This has my full support.”

In order to prove the route is a public footpath, it must be shown that it has been used by the public openly, without hindrance or the need to use force or ask permission, for 20 years or more prior to the usage rights of the path being questioned.

This proposal is supported by 29 local people, 16 of whom claim to have used the path for over 20 years.

No rebuttal evidence has been provided by the landowner.