A 70-year-old campaigner, Sue Carter, is appealing to residents in Melksham to help keep a much-used footpath as a public right of way.
Sue Carter, of the Woodrow Road and Local Community Facebook Group, is asking people who used the 40 Acre Field footpath down to the River Avon to contact her as soon as possible.
This is the field accessible from Woodrow Road and also along the river bank from the Green Bridge.
Sue submitted an application to Wiltshire Council to have the footpath added to the Definitive Map as a public right of way.Wiltshire Council has refused, saying she needs to provide evidence that local people have regularly used the path between 1975 and 1995.
A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said, “We recently refused this application because of insufficient evidence of usage in the relevant period.”
Sue said, “I need the young and old residents of the local area to come forward and fill in the forms to submit to the council to show that it has been in use for more than 40 years.
“It’s always been a popular walk for local families and people who walk their dogs down to the River Avon.
”Dog walkers and walkers were able to use the path up to about 12 months ago, when the previous tenant farmer Don Burnell moved out of Forest Farm and new tenant Gareth Powell moved in.
“Mr Powell immediately closed the path and set about digging a three-feet ditch all around the 40 Acre Field to stop people from using it, as well as cutting down trees to act as a barrier.
“Then the walkers started using fields near the Black Bridge managed by next-door tenant farmer Tim Farthing, but he also took action to stop them by placing a barrier in the middle of the bridge.
“Mr Powell states, “There is no legal footpath down there and they have decided to refuse the application to make it a public right of way.”
“People have been using this footpath for 40 years plus and evidence is needed to prove this. If action isn’t taken, there will soon be nowhere left for Melksham residents to walk, compounded by the fact that many fields are now being built on.
“Please if you can help contact Mrs Carter, email homely53@yahoo.com and also if there are any outstanding forms can they be returned asap. Just 10 more completed forms are needed. Thank you.”