We understand some residents have had concerns about the signage being displayed and thinking that the footpath running from Abbeymead Avenue to Glevum Way play area will be closing, but we would like to reassure residents that this is not the case and that this is a legal process that is being undertaken.

Following a resident contacting Cllr Laura Brooker and her raising with Cllr Andrew Gravells and Gloucestershire County Council, it has become apparent that prior to the development of the estate surrounding Brierley Road, in the early 1990’s, there had been a public footpath, for which an alternative cycleway/footway has been provided, which for most of its route follows the same line as the footpath, except at the north eastern end where it veers to the south east of the properties in Brierley Close, Broadwell Close and Chaceley Close. During the development of this site the footpath should have been either diverted or stopped up but unfortunately this did not happen, leaving the footpath on the Definitive Map of Public Rights of Way.

It is clear that the Definitive path at the north eastern end has not been useable since the properties were built in the early 1990’s, and as there is a suitable alternative in the form of the adopted cycle/footway, it has been proposed that the County Council make an order under section 118 of the Highways Act 1980 to extinguish the length of public footpath ZGL 57 from the definitive map. Users of the current path will see no difference on the ground and this is to all effects a “tidying” up exercise.