Dear All
This is to advise you that a TRO has been placed on Smeathes Ridge, which
leads from Barbury Castle to Ogbourne st George. Wiltshire County Council
will have the proposal listed in local papers on the 2nd October. The byway
involved has been shut to maintain it's present condition as a 'green swathe
'. The Council seem to believe that this byway's condition should be
protected. Interestingly, the only vehicles which DON'T use this byway, are
heavy agricultural vehicles. The TRF and 4x4's have been using this lane for
ages, with no appreciable damage!
An alternative route has been offered which used Gypsy Lane (185,765), which
has been reported to be in a bad condition. So, in effect, the Council are
asking us to come off a well maintained byway, onto one which is in a bad
condition - another sensible option!!
Copies of the reasons for the closure may be inspected at County Hall,
Trowbridge and at Marlborough Town Council Offices, 5 High Street,
Marlborough Mon to Thurs 0900-1700 and Fridays between 0900-1630.
Facts:
1.Lower Smeathes Ridge and part of Gypsy Lane cuts through land owned by
John Milton. John Milton's wife, Jemima Milton,is a conservative Councillor
for Swindon Borough Council.
2. Deep ruts to both lanes appear to be a very similar track/depth -
believed to be agricultural.
3. Information from the café owner at Barbury Castle states, to her
knowledge, that no maintenance has been carried out on Gypsy Lane for at
least 7 years.
4. When a TRF member asked to see these documents at Marlborough today
(290903), the clerk stated that she had no idea what he was talking about!
Objections and representations to the proposals, together with grounds on
which they are made, should be made in writing to:
Mr George Batten, Director of Environmental Services, County Hall,
Trowbridge, BA14 8JD
NO LATER than 27th October 2003 quoting reference JM/TRO/RIDGE
Thank you for your time
"Steve Firth" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1g1yu6w.64k42vfzm5atN%%steve%@malloc.co.uk...
> OK, I was bored and on my way from Hungerford into Hants so I thought
> why not drive along the Ridgeway[1]? I took the section from Commbe
> Gibbet to Buttermere and found that it's in a bad way in places for a
> byway with a lot of growth encroaching onto the track. I got through
> without any problems but I did notice at one point a new white notice
> that appears to threaten to downgrade part of that section from byway to
> bridleway. It was dated 23 September so It's new, I've not seen any
> outcry (here) about it. Are the council trying to swing something on the
> QT?
>
>
>
>
> [1] Even though it was going quite a way out of my way.
>
> --
> Mathematicians, please don't drink and derive.
