Walkers fear losing access to path after 50 years

Walkers who have used a footpath for more than 50 years have started a bid to get it registered as a public right of way after threats it could be blocked.

It comes after Malvern College, in Worcestershire, unveiled plans to build a new prep school, which could be built on the same land as the footpath.

The path runs through common land, as well as land owned by Malvern College, and dog walker Marion Parker said: "My daughter is 52 now and I walked all of my children over there in pushchairs and prams."

A Malvern College spokesperson said: "We are an important part of the community and endeavour to permit people to share specific areas of our grounds wherever we can."

They added: "As with all schools there will be safe-guarding requirements that we need to consider.

"As part of the ongoing official process we are reviewing this application and formally responding."

But Parker said if the footpath was moved it could force residents to use an area known locally as the "ski slope".

"We have asked if the footpath could be kept as a designated footpath, so we are not forced to use a part of the land that we call the 'ski slope', which is steep, dangerous and can get very slippery when it's wet and also when it's very dry.

"The route we use is less of a slope."

Sally Kidd, a fellow dog walker, said she has been using the footpath for 35 years.

"If people can show the path has been used for a certain length of time, it can be designated," she said.

"Years ago it was the pony field and there used to be jumps in the field.

"You could still walk around as long as you respected the route."

Tom Wood, who lives in nearby, has also been a regular user of the footpath and has put in an easement application for access to his back garden via college land.

"It's the college's land," he said. "But people have a right to use it."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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