THERE has been quite a battle going on with a fence along the lower part of the Peak Forest Canal.
A man wanting the fence to keep people of his land, Joanne Smith reports.
Pay for the fence
Even to getting Canal & River Trust not only to pay for the fence but also to erect it by the side of the canal near the village of Gee Cross,
The man, Tom Cassell, has just bought a massive 110 acre of land, part of which has been open for walkers, but he does not want people on his land so persuaded the trust to erect the fence and pay for it!
The fence was installed last week by the the trust, then immediately pulled down by walkers wanting to access the land.
So the Canal & River Trust had to turn out on Saturday—that is all documented in a YouTube video.
On this it can be seen that Tom Cassell tells he had a phone call with Neil from the trust who told it was going to 'get on top of putting some really good solid secure fencing'.
Not that solid
But it obviously was not that solid. But why should Canal & River Trust be responsible for such a fence and to even have to pay for, yet the man flaunts his wealth on YouTube.
In reporting this, Joanne Smith remarks:
"It doesn’t seem right to me that the Canal & River Trust are using money that should be used to maintain the waterways to build fencing for a millionaire to protect private land."
But it seem it will be a long running battle with determined walkers who have used the land for years and obviously intend to keep using it, with the trust spending even more money in an attempt to keep it secure for the fella.
NOTE—Under Section 25 of the Highways Act 1980 if it can be shown that a bridleway or footpath has been used for 20 years or more the local council has to dedicate that bridleway or footpath as an official right of way that is then added to the definitive map.—Tom Crossley, Editor. (Ex Bridleways Officers of the British Horse Society who has had three such rights of way dedicated.)