A Walsall walking group is campaigning to secure permanent public right of access to a popular roadway through the Great Barr Hall estate in Pheasey.
The Walsall Ramblers wants Suttons Drive, between Chapel Lane and Horseshoe Crescent in the Nether Hall Avenue area and which sits in the historic Great Barr Hall estate, to be included in the definitive map of the borough. This would protect it from being closed off to the public and safeguard its future as a right of way.
Walsall Ramblers Collecting Evidence
However, Dick Turton, the walking environments officer for Walsall Ramblers group, says it needs to collect evidence from the public who have used the roadway over the past 20 years, to add weight to its application to modify the map.
“Walsall Ramblers have been trying since late last year to formalise the route into the Great Barr Hall site, known as Suttons Drive, by having it included on the definitive map of Walsall,” he said.
“This would protect at least this part of the estate for the public to use by making it into a public right of way and would mean the current landowner or any future landowner could not close it the public without a closure order.
“For us to have a good chance in our application, we need evidence from the public to confirm they have used the route – whether regularly as a walker, cyclist or horse rider – or if they used it to get to work or to church. This would help us to confirm that the route has been used as a right of way for more than 20 years.
“We would ask any readers of the Pioneer to get in touch and fill in a form as every piece of evidence will help us.”
The derelict Great Barr Hall, which is Grade II listed and on the Buildings At Risk register, is currently on the market for £7 million and includes 153 acres of grounds, parkland and two lakes. Last year, Walsall Council refused a planning application to build five exclusive homes on part of the old St Margaret’s Hospital, saying it would negatively impact on the conservation areas and Green Belt land that it sits in.
Dick said any application to create a public right of way would need the approval of the current landowner – or any buyer, should the estate be sold. However, if the landowner refused or did not want to divert the roadway so that the public could have a right of way, the Ramblers could take it to a public enquiry.
The Ramblers group is hoping to gain as much evidence as possible by June 30, 2021, so that it can go forward with its application.
Information and forms can be obtained from walsallramblers@talktalk.net. The Ramblers group and the Rights of Way team at Walsall Council can help anyone with filling in the forms.
Written by Jane Howarth.
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