In reply to UKH Articles:
Misplaced priorities include Bedfordshire Council spending £3000 of public money for a London Barrister to oppose a a 77yr old man who is fighting a public right of way through his private garden. ( not to mention the costs of a three day public inquiry,councillors expenses and costs)These misplaced priorities happen every day throughout England. May I suggest that the whole archaic proceedure of spending vast amounts of public money on every single Modification application regardless of its true viability, regardless if the claim is doomed to fail, regardless if it takes 20,30 or even 40 years of public enquiries,council time and regardless if it goes through a private garden,farmyard or indeed living room, is legislated against immediately so that the revenue saved can be spent where it should be, maintaining and improving the paths we already have. It is a travesty that rate payers are largely quite unaware,concerning this whole issue, that the money spent proportedly 'saving' 'lost' footpaths is actually jeapardising the footpaths which will be 'lost' through disuse and lack of maintainance.
Kate Ashbrook of the Open Spaces Society fears that many public footpaths are in danger of being lost thanks to cuts, neglect and misplaced priorities. It's worst in Wales, she says, but England is following close behind. 
