Footpaths

[marveld]

So according to Geoff the landowners who originally had opposed the riverside path alongside the Goyt would now, according to Marveld,  probably support an improvement to the path -  it doesn't seem logical to me.

I think the landowners were concerned the original proposal of a decent wide path between Chadkirk Bridge and the bottom of Dale Road may have resulted in this 'new' path being routed across their farmyard. The improvements we are discussing here are only to make good and maintain the worst section and I don't foresee the farmyard access coming into the equation.  I can't see why the owners of Magpie Cottages or Lower Dale Farm would object to the mud bath being permanently eradicated. If you are walking FROM Chadkirk Bridge towards the farm, you face the muddy section well before the old access point to the farmyard. 

[Barbara]

The path along the river from the end of Dale Road to the new bridge and Chadkirk is (or would be) a perfect route for visitors coming to Marple by train. 

[Dave]

Don't forget the path to Strines becomes Derbyshire at some point.

All of that route described and photographed by rsh is in Stockport. You don't cross into High Peak (Derbyshire) until you get to the cobbled road leading to Strines Station.

[CTCREP]

Amazon said  Etherow before Brabyns.  Although I would dearly love to see Etherow Country Park being brought up to an acceptable standard it is still a leisure area whereas Brabyns Park offers useful routes to the Station, School and Shops.

 I could make a case for Etherow Country Park to be considered the Premier Park in Stockport for its variety of interests it caters for, but we must really question Cllr Abell's  opinion that the short length of, possibly unofficial, path alongside the Goyt at the end of Dale Road should take precedence over the fact that part of Etherow Country Park is no longer accessible because of the poor condition of the path alongside the river by Keg Pool.

[prestbury]

Do any of our local councillors want to tackle the council to work with Canal & River Trust on that one?

The problem with a number of footpaths and especially canal towpaths is that we have had one of the wettest winters for a good number of years.

Having said that I would think that the Canal and River Trust will be short of funds for towpath works. With the million pound emergency works on Marple locks and the recent multi million pound breach at Middlewich on one of their busiest canal links, their reserves are taking a hammering and local towpath works will now be low priority. If the council and C&RT could persuade investment from Sustrans it would help.

[amazon]

So according to Geoff the landowners who originally had opposed the riverside path alongside the Goyt would now, according to Marveld,  probably support an improvement to the path -  it doesn't seem logical to me.

I still say the decision to upgrade a path should not be solely on the amount of mud present but on its usage, and in my opinion the paths to and through Brabyns Park should take priority.

Etherow before Brabyns .

[CTCREP]

So according to Geoff the landowners who originally had opposed the riverside path alongside the Goyt would now, according to Marveld,  probably support an improvement to the path -  it doesn't seem logical to me.

I still say the decision to upgrade a path should not be solely on the amount of mud present but on its usage, and in my opinion the paths to and through Brabyns Park should take priority.

[marveld]

Connect 2 (Marple to Chadkirk via new bridge) was originally proposed along the Goyt path but landowners were not happy, so an alternative had to be found from Marple Hall.

I appreciate that a full blown decent wide path between the start of the footpath at Lower Dale Farm and the Chadkirk Bridge is not going to happen. However, I fully share Geoff's opinion - ".. top of the list is still the footpath that links the bottom of Dale Road with the Sustrans bridge over the R Goyt.  If you think your path is bad, this mudbath is worse!"

What I would like to see is just the really bad muddy section (approx 50-100 metres) at the back of the farm having a decent path put down and be regularly maintained e.g. the balsam, brambles and knotweed cut back when necessary. Question: how can the funding for this be achieved? I can't see the landowners currently disapproving of this compromise idea!

[CllrGeoffAbell]

Thanks for the comments and the photos here.  Don't forget the path to Strines becomes Derbyshire at some point.

And the final comment has a core of truth: Connect 2 (Marple to Chadkirk via new bridge) was originally proposed along the Goyt path but landowners were not happy, so an alternative had to be found from Marple Hall.  SMBC relaid the Peak Forest towpath from from locks 10 to 13 (station Road to Strines Road crossings) a number of years ago; sadly that money is no longer there, but note that CRT are themselves stumping up millions to improve the environs whilst repairing the collapse at lock 15.    (If, dear reader, you haven't seen it, it's worth seeing how they built canals around 1800 whilst it's exposed!)

[rsh]

I went to look at the Strines bridleway last week. If you saw anyone with a look of total bewilderment on their face, that was me. While we wail and cry for rights of way improvements elsewhere, the level of work down there is astonishing.

Presumably it's a case of "doing it properly" — for once — which is very commendable. The path is an excellent hard surface but still grippy for horses, probably the best of its kind I've ever seen. Alongside in the worst patches are huge rocks to allow for drainage. Compared to what it was, it's unrecognisable.

But is it useful? It could be, as a more leisurely bottom-of-the-valley route between Marple and Strines, but the major downfall is that you can literally see where the money stopped — at the junction past Windybottom Farm where one path goes uphill and the other towards the station. The station path could be quite useful, but beyond here it's still the same bumpy, muddy mess with no sign of improvement coming. The uphill path is a downhill washed-away stream. Water and mud is also gathering against the end of the newly laid path, creating a new obstacle.



Second, the small hill back down towards the farm, always the worst part (either like a mudbath or a dry river bed) is now totally dry but also fantastically narrow for a bridleway. Just wide enough for two walkers to pass, how would two bikes or two horses manage?

Before/After





Third, unless you cross the Roman Bridge you have to then continue along the hellish Lakes Road to get to Marple which is as potholed and puddled as ever, if not more so. If you do cross the bridge and go up to the canal to continue into Marple, then you encounter the even worse canal towpath, between Bridges 21 and 19, which is probably where the council should have actually focused such money. It has really drastically degraded just in the past year.





This stretch of canal could be one of Marple's best attractions, never mind a perfect way to avoid Strines Road.

Do any of our local councillors want to tackle the council to work with Canal & River Trust on that one?

However, top of the list is still the footpath that links the bottom of Dale Road with the Sustrans bridge over the R Goyt.  If you think your path is bad, this mudbath is worse!

It's such a shame the Dale Road path never became the main route to the bridge, it'd have been so much more logical and easy-going than the hairpin bends down from Marple Hall, which from my experience most cyclists don't bother with - it turned out to just be a very expensive dog walking path. Wasn't the issue with residents/landowners worrying about off-road motorbikers and the council not bothering to challenge them incase the funding expired?

[CTCREP]

It is good to hear that some improvements to footpaths have been made but I must question the decision to put the footpath along the River Goyt as being Top of the List.  This is purely a leisure path.  It was a route I proposed several years ago but the Council chose to create the route down from Marple Hall Drive. Their reasoning being that the riverside walk was prone to flooding - I cannot see that changing.  It would be nice to have a riverside walk but in no way can it be considered a priority regardless of how much mud there is.

From my information the section referred to is an unofficial re-siting of the footpath that originally went straight through the farm. I would expect the Council to check the definitive map.

I have been pressuring Stockport MBC for years to improve Rollins Lane - the path into Brabyns Park from near Compstall Bridge - and the path in Brabyns Park that leads from the Iron Bridge up to the Pavilion. This route should enable ordinary pedestrians to be able to walk from Compstall to Marple Bridge, Marple Station and Marple, as well as a route for students to cycle from the Compstall area to Marple Hall School. Currently I know of one person who in the past would cycle from Compstall Bridge to the Pavilion but now drives down to Marple Bridge and back up to the Pavilion because of the unsatisfactory state of the paths.  Surely this route is more worthy of being top priority. I guess many other residents could make similar claims for elsewhere.

[CllrGeoffAbell]

@Dave I am a soon-to-be-ex-councillor, does that count?

The way funding cuts go, every area of local government is trimmed, but some more than others.  How that's done is the job of those that run the council, and in a minority administration that is to some extent all of us: to be fair the current Labour admin have genuinely reached out and listened.  Of course that could all change after 3 May.  So although social services is one of the most important things we do, there are still funds for highway maintenance, and yes, footpaths too.  And there is also still flexibility funding from the Marple Area Cmte for local organisations, although that tends to be £100s rather than £1,000s.

So the Dark Lane off-road bridleway, cycle and walking route from Otterspool to Stockport has been upgraded.  There is also a surface that horses and cycles seem to find acceptable - trust me, that's hard! - and there is some money this financial year that can be spent.  Not huge, but some.

@CTCREP has been in contact.  So have many other residents and I have a list of footpaths, cycleways and bridleways that could be with improvements and I have passed on to officers.  However, top of the list is still the footpath that links the bottom of Dale Road with the Sustrans bridge over the R Goyt.  If you think your path is bad, this mudbath is worse!

[CTCREP]

It does not matter which Fund was used for this exercise.  Stockport has a population of Tax payers who effectively employ Stockport MBC and our Councillors to use wisely our Council Tax money and any other money they receive.

Having been campaigning for improvements to footpaths elsewhere for many years and continually being told there is no money available I cannot understand how Stockport MBC can possibly consider this area of greater importance than many others in Stockport. 

I would suggest everyone who believes they know of a footpath or similar that would benefit the community far more than the one above should ask their Local Councillor and/or Council Official why the money was spent  here in preference to the one they would have chosen.

[GM]

I think the track and bridge are still classed as a bridleway.

Looking at the picture its very similar to the section after the Otterspool hydro, so it might be a standardised bridleway design ?.

[Dave]

I can't throw any light on this, although this forum is frequented by councillors and would-be councillors, and maybe one of them can do so?

However, it is quite possible that it's all to do with the separation of budgets within the council. The tracks around Strines will fall within the the Rights of Way department, whereas the paths in Brabyns and Etherow are presumably the responsibility of Parks and Open Spaces?