Objections by two officers of the Ramblers Association have lost us a new bridleway and caused an unnecessary Public Inquiry, at great expense to Cornwall Council/Taxpayers.

There is a bridleway (number 18) in the parish of Sithney that runs from Penpraze Farm towards Wheal Christopher.

However the definitive (legally recorded) bridleway does not join the county road at either end. That is, there is no recorded right of way to reach it by horse. However the bridleway is regulary ridden. At the nothern end it is reached by an old lane. This can be seen on the map below (marked 207/L). At the southern end by Penpraze farm there is a short stretch of old road under the railway that is neither recorded as bridleway or county road. Tthere also is no ridden connection to the Wheal Christopher part of bridleway 14 - there is a gap with only a footpath across a field.

A Modification Order was submitted in 2000 by the parish council to claim the old lane as bridleway. Last year after a 10 year delay, Cornwall Council at last got around to processing the application and decided that the old lane should be made a bridleway.

However two officers of the Kerrier Ramblers submitted objections to the decision. They were the ONLY objectors. As a result of their action, and their action alone, a Publuic Inquiry had to be held (typically PI's cost Cornwall Council (ie you the tax payer) £10k to £15k.

At the Inquiry the inspector, in our view very unjustly queried part of the user evidence and decided not to confirm the Order. Ten years of waiting and we still have no bridleway. The reason for the objection by the Ramblers was that the bridleway did not quite connect to the road at the other end (under the railway bridge).

View full details of the Inspector's Judgement

It is incredible that officers of a user organisation should take deliberate action to prevent a Right of Way (either bridleway or footpath) from being put on the map, and that they caused Cornwall Council to have to pay for an Inquiry, at significamt cost to all.